Peoria Holds off Cedar Rapids, 6-5
May 17, 2025 - Midwest League (MWL)
Peoria Chiefs News Release
CEDAR RAPIDS, IA - The Chiefs bullpen twirled six innings of one-run baseball Saturday night to knock off the Cedar Rapids Kernels 6-5 at Veterans Memorial Stadium.
Peoria never trailed on Saturday, but had to navigate traffic on the bases throughout the contest. The Chiefs made timely pitches when they mattered most. Cedar Rapids was 0-for-14 with runners in scoring position on Saturday.
The Chiefs relied on five arms to piece together the one-run win. After starter Cade Winquest went three innings, Michael Watson worked a career-high 2 1/3 innings and picked the win. He did not allow a hit but surrendered the only run allowed by the bullpen. Joseph King battled command issues Saturday, issuing four walks, but he punched out Gabby Gonzalez with the bases loaded in the seventh to end the inning. Angel Gonzalez logged 1 2/3 innings in relief before giving way to D.J. Carpenter for the save chance. Carpenter blew a fastball by Kaeden Culpepper to end the contest and record his first professional save.
It appeared that the Chiefs would be on their way to a drama-free win Saturday. A two-run single from Ryan Campos and an RBI double from Miguel Villarroel gave Peoria a 3-0 lead in the top of the first.
Cedar Rapids quickly returned the favor, getting a pair of runs right back. An RBI groundout and a sac fly cut the Peoria lead to 3-2 after one inning.
In the top of the second, Graysen Tarlow stepped up to the plate and mashed a solo homer to right center, giving the Chiefs a 4-2 advantage. For Tarlow, it was his first home run since September 6, 2023.
Again, the Kernels answered. Cedar Rapids cashed in a lead-off triple from Khadim Diaw to cut the Peoria lead back to one, 4-3. In the bottom of the third, another sacrifice fly tied the score at 4-4.
Joshua Baez, one of the Midwest League's hottest hitters, vaulted the Chiefs back to the lead in the top half of the fourth. His RBI single to right plated Johnfrank Salazar and gave Peoria a 5-4 lead. Baez finished with three hits and three stolen bases in the win. The Chiefs outfielder is hitting .310 on the year and is now tied for third in the league with 18 stolen bases.
In the top of the sixth, Tarlow delivered again, on what would be a key insurance run. After fouling off four consecutive two-strike pitches, Tarlow singled into center field to bolster the lead, 6-4.
Cedar Rapids cut the deficit to 6-5 in the bottom of the sixth with a bases loaded walk, but then left the bags full in both the sixth and seventh innings. In the ninth, the Kernels had the tying and winning runs on base when Carpenter punched out Culpepper to end the contest.
With a win Sunday, the Chiefs can lock down their first outright series win of the year. Cardinals No. 13 prospect Chen-Wei Lin will toe the slab for Peoria. First pitch is scheduled for 1:05 p.m. Fans can watch the game on MiLB.TV or the Bally Live app with a subscription. The radio call can be heard online at peoriachiefs.com by clicking the "Listen Live" tab.
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