MWL1 Peoria Chiefs

Chiefs Waste Early 6-0 Lead, Break Streak in Extras

Published on May 20, 2008 under Midwest League (MWL1)
Peoria Chiefs News Release


Davenport, IA - The Peoria Chiefs took off for an early 6-0 lead then had to battle back to snap a seven game losing streak with a hard-fought 10-6 win in 10 innings over the Quad Cities River Bandits Tuesday night. The win moves the Chiefs to 15-30 on the season.

Tied 6-6 into the 10th, the Chiefs finally had some breaks go their way. Jovan Rosa struck out to start the inning, but reached first when the ball bounded off his leg and up the first base line for a wild pitch. Brandon Guyer doubled and Marquez Smith was hit with a pitch to load the bases with nobody out. Luis Bautista gave the Chiefs a 9-6 lead with a triple to the wall in rightcenter. After a flyout, Bautista barely beat a throw to the plate by shortstop Peter Kozma as Leon Johnson picked up the RBI for a 10-6 lead. Matt Spade relieved Cardoza Tucker Jr. and got out of the inning, but the damage was done. Chiefs reliever Steve Vento struck out the side in the bottom of the 10th to nail down the victory, Jovan Rosa started the Chiefs second with a single to left and moved to second on a one-out hit by Marquez Smith. Luis Bautista put the Chiefs on top 1-0 with a double to left-center, his first RBI of the season. Dylan Johnston launched his team-leading sixth homer of the season over the right-center wall for a 4-0 Peoria lead before Mark Diapoules was able to get out of the inning. All six of Johnston's home runs and all 17 of his RBI have come on the road this season.

The Chiefs added to their lead in the fourth and knocked Diapoules out of the game. Smith led off with a walk and moved to second on a single by Bautista. After a strikeout, Leon Johnson beat out an infield single to second, and Smith came around to score when Jose Garcia throw to second went into left field. Pete Parise relieved Diapoules and gave up a two-out RBI single to Nate Samson as the Chiefs took a 6-0 lead.

The River Bandits charged back into the game with a five-run fifth against Chiefs starter Hung-Wen Chen. With one out, D'Marcus Ingram singled to right to snap a stretch where Chen had retired 14 straight Bandits hitters. Tommy Pham got Quad Cities on the board with a double to right-center and Peter Kozma was hit by a pitch. Charlie Kingrey reached on a two-hopper that was booted by Smith at second as Pham scored. Francisco Rivera cut the lead to 6-3 with a sacrifice fly to left before Matt Arburr blaster a two-run homer off the batters' eye for a 6-5 ballgame.

Two innings later, Quad Cities tied the game against reliever Blake Parker. Pham led off with a bunt single and moved to second on a wild pitch with one out. After a 10-pitch battle, Parker struck out Kingery for the second out. Rivera tied the game with a double to right before Parker struck out Arburr to send the game to the ninth inning tied at six. Chen was brilliant through five innings before giving up five runs in the sixth. He finished with six innings of work, allowing five runs on five hits with three strikeouts. Parker allowed one run on two hits over two innings. He struck out five and suffered his first blown save of the season.

Vento (4-1) picked up the win with four strikeouts and one hit allowed over two shutout innings. Player of the Game - Luis Bautista (1B) - Bautista gave the Chiefs a victory with a threerun triple in the 10th and finished the game 3-for-5 with a career-high four RBI. The first baseman is now 9-for-19 in his first four games with three doubles and a triple.

Notes...Jovan Rosa has a six game hit streak...Fifteen of the Chiefs 22 home runs have come on the road in just five more games played away from O'Brien Field...Quad Cities had been 7-0 on the season in games decided in the final inning...Chen retired 14 in a row, with only one ball hit into the outfield, from the first to the sixth...The Chiefs are 8-3 when scoring five or more runs in a game this season...Peoria is 3-3 in extra innings...Vento leads the team in wins (4) and appearances (16)...The Chiefs last lost eight straight in 2000...The franchise record is a 13 game losing streak in 1999...The four-game series continues Wednesday at 7:00 PM...RH Billy Muldowney (0-0, 1.53) takes the hill for the Chiefs against Bandits RH Chuckie Fick (0-1, 1.64)...The game can be heard live beginning with the pre-game show at 6:45 PM online at www.peoriachiefs.com or on WOAM 1350.

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Midwest League Stories from May 20, 2008


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