Series Preview: Peoria Chiefs vs. West Michigan Whitecaps
June 29, 2021 - Midwest League (MWL)
Peoria Chiefs News Release
PEORIA, Ill. -- After a rough series against the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers last week, the Peoria Chiefs will look to bounce back as they return home to Dozer Park to face-off against the West Michigan Whitecaps, the High-A affiliate of the Detroit Tigers. West Michigan comes into this contest with a 22-24 record having recently lost three of five to Dayton. Per MLB Pipeline, the Whitecaps have seven of the Tigers top 30 prospects on their roster.
Peoria vs. West Michigan: 2019
Peoria and West Michigan have not played each other in over two years, dating back to May 6-8, 2019. In the series, Peoria took two out of three from the Whitecaps in Grand Rapids.
Who To Watch: West Michigan
Eric De La Rosa:
Heading into this series, De La Rosa is coming off a milestone mark of hitting for the cycle in Sunday's finale against Dayton. He achieved the cycle via a walkoff home run. In addition, his .380 on-base percentage makes him a threat to get on base at any time. It's worth watching whether De La Rosa continues his hot hitting or if Chiefs pitching can keep him in check.
Daniel Cabrera:
Per MLB Pipeline, Cabrera is the fifth ranked prospect in the Tigers organization. His season numbers aren't the most impressive as he is slashing .263/.316/.419 with four home runs, but he has driven in a team-high 31 runs on the season. Cabrera is a threat to drive in runs on this Whitecaps team.
Andre Lipcius:
Lipcius has hit well in his last seven games, slashing .321/.424/.571 with a 171 wRC+. He is also a threat to get on base with a .357 OBP and a 12.2 percent walk rate. Additionally, he strikes out at a relatively low 16.3 percent rate. Peoria must be careful when pitching to Lipcius.
Peoria's Last Series:
Peoria lost their last series against Wisconsin, taking only two out of six from the Timber Rattlers. The first win came in Wednesday's matinee that saw the Chiefs score 13 runs on 12 hits. Additionally, 10 of their 13 total runs came in the last two innings. Peoria would take the nightcap of Friday's doubleheader in a seven inning game off a four run seventh inning.
Who to watch: Peoria
Jhon Torres:
After not hitting a home run for the first month of the season, Torres has found the power stroke in his bat. In the last series against Wisconsin, he hit three home runs to go with a .300/.364/.700 slash line along with a 175 wRC+. If Torres can continue to hit with power and continue his hot streak, his rise up the ranks could be faster than anticipated.
Leandro Cedeno:
Cedeno has notably been one of the Chiefs hottest and most consistent hitters during the month of June. After starting the season under the Mendoza line, he has hit .361/.418/.625 with a 1.043 OPS and 179 wRC+ this month. It's been a remarkable turnaround from Cedeno after his horrible start to the season.
Moises Castillo:
Like Torres, Castillo has found the power stroke in his bat. He has hit three home runs in his last seven games, two of which came against Wisconsin in the last series. Castillo's stellar defense is already an asset to the team. If he can continue to use the power stroke, it's yet another asset the Chiefs can use.
Connor Lunn:
Lunn put together a great outing in his appearance against Wisconsin. He struck out eight batters in seven innings while giving up only one run. If he can have outings like that more consistently, the Chiefs have a pitcher they can count on going forward.
Single Game Ticket Information
July single game tickets are now on sale! Tickets can be purchased online or at the box office Monday-Thursday from 10 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. and on Friday's from 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. The box office will be closed for lunch daily between 11:30 a.m. - 1 p.m. Tickets for July, August and September will be available at a later time.
The Peoria Chiefs are locally owned and operated and play their games at Dozer Park. The Chiefs are a committed community asset and premier entertainment venue for families and individuals in Central Illinois.
Midwest League Stories from June 29, 2021
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- Bandits Blanked by Kernels in Return Home - Quad Cities River Bandits
- Yang, Martinez Lead Dragons to 10-8 Win in Opener at Lansing - Dayton Dragons
- Conine Hits 14th Home Run in 3-1 Loss Against Timber Rattlers - Beloit Sky Carp
- Rattlers Pitch Their Way Past Beloit - Wisconsin Timber Rattlers
- Featherstone, Gore Close out 1-0 Shutout - Cedar Rapids Kernels
- Whitecaps and Chiefs Postponed - West Michigan Whitecaps
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- Emanuels Placed on IL, Lugnuts Add Two Pitchers - Lansing Lugnuts
- TinCaps Transaction & Game Information: June 29 at Great Lakes - Fort Wayne TinCaps
- Dayton Dragons Game Notes for Tuesday - Dayton Dragons
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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.
