Lalli Delivers Game-Winning Single to Snap Three Game Skid
July 15, 2007 - Midwest League (MWL1)
Peoria Chiefs News Release
Peoria, IL - The Peoria Chiefs used late inning heroics from their designated hitter Blake Lalli to pick up a 6-5 win over the visiting Swing of the Quad Cities on Sunday afternoon. The win moves the Chiefs to 13-10 on the half and 44-48 overall and back into first place in the Western Division.
Ryne Malone singled off of Swing reliever Armando Carrasco to start the bottom of the ninth inning. Lansford moved him into scoring position with a sacrifice bunt. Russ Canzler was intentionally walked to set up Lalli's at-bat. Lalli lined Armando Carrasco's 1-0 pitch down the right field line to score Malone to give the Chiefs the win.
Wade Miller struck out five of the first six batters he faced including striking out the side in the first inning. Miller finished the day with three innings of work while allowing two runs on four hits and striking out five. He finished with a pitch count of 39.
The Chiefs loaded the bases in the second inning off Dickson with no one out. Russ Canzler and Lalli both singled. Jim Adduci reached on a bunt to load the bases. Alfred Joseph drove in the first run of the game with a groundout to third to score Canzler to make it 1-0.
Quad Cities got to Miller in the third inning after Christian Lopez and Antone DeJesus hit back-to-back singles to start the inning. After getting Daryl Jones to line out to first, Jared Schweitzer delivered an RBI single to score Lopez to tie the game 1-1. The next batter Tony Cruz hit a sacrifice fly to the warning track in right to score DeJesus and put the Swing in front 2-1.
Peoria took back the lead in the bottom of the fourth. Lalli started the inning off with a four pitch walk. He moved to third base on consecutive wild pitches while Wellington Castillo was batting. After Castillo walked, Matt Camp drove a double to the right-centerfield gap to plate both Lalli and Castillo and give the Chiefs the lead back at 3-2.
Malone and Lansford picked up back-to-back singles to put runners on the corners with no outs to start the fifth inning. With Lalli batting Malone scored on a wild pitch to make the lead 4-2. Lalli walked and sent Dickson to the dugout. Reliever Kyle Sadlowski did not fair much better as Adduci singled to score Russ Canzler and make it 5-2.
Chiefs reliever Casey Lambert struggled in the sixth walking the bases loaded. Christian Reyes brought the Swing within a run with a two-run double to make it 5-4. Lambert walked Jaime Landin with one out to reload the bases and was lifted for lefty reliever Jayson Ruhlman. Ruhlman hit Christian Lopez with a pitch after getting ahead 0-2 to tie the game at 5-5. He did record a strikeout of Daryl Jones to get out of the bases loaded jam.
Papelbon worked an inning of scoreless relief while allowing just one hit. Lambert went 1 1/3 and surrendered three runs and walked four batters. Ruhlman pitched 1 2/3 of relief and allowed two hits but no runs. Alex Maestri picked up the win with a scoreless ninth inning to set up Lalli's ninth inning heroics.
Gorman's Pub Player of the Game Blake Lalli (DH)- Blake drove in the game winning run with a single in the ninth inning to score Malone from second base. Lalli finished the game 2-for-3 with a pair of walks and a run scored.
Notes... Lalli extended his hitting streak to six games...The win gave the Chiefs seven wins in their last at bat this season...It was also the first walk off win at home since June 16 against Beloit...The crowd of 6,101 was the largest non-sell out crowd of the season...It was also the largest Sunday crowd of the season...Peoria is now 22-23 at O'Brien Field...The Chiefs and Swing play two more games this season on Aug. 30-31 in Davenport...The Chiefs will have an off day Monday before heading on the road to South Bend, Indiana on Tuesday...The Chiefs will send RHP Jose Pina (3-8, 3.70) to the mound against a starter to be announced by the Silver Hawks...The game can be heard live beginning with the pre-game at 5:45 PM local time online at www.peoriachiefs.com or on WOAM 1350.
Midwest League Stories from July 15, 2007
- Denis Phipps' Walk-Off Homer Pushes Streak to Four - Dayton Dragons
- Bees Outlast Loons - Burlington Bees
- Bees Sting Loons in Ninth - Great Lakes Loons
- Lugnuts Complete Sweep of Rattlers - Lansing Lugnuts
- Lalli Delivers Game-Winning Single to Snap Three Game Skid - Peoria Chiefs
- Chiefs Avoid Sweep, Walk-Off with Win over Swing - Quad Cities River Bandits
- Whitecaps Down Beloit, 5-3 - West Michigan Whitecaps
- Lugnuts Sweep Wisconsin - Wisconsin Timber Rattlers
- Dragons Go Dutch with Newest Pitcher - Dayton Dragons
- Kernels fall to Wizards, 10-7 - Cedar Rapids Kernels
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
