Wick Homers, Chiefs Win 9-3 Saturday
GRAND CHUTE, WI- The Peoria Chiefs collected 12 hits and scored nine runs for the first time in nearly a month to snap a three-game losing streak with a 9-3 win over the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers Saturday night. The win moves the Chiefs to 22-19 in the second half and 59-51 overall.
Wisconsin grabbed an early lead against Rob Kaminsky in the top of the first. Taylor Brennan led off with a walk and Chris McFarland singled. A double play ball moved Brennan to third and he scored on a two-strike single by Clint Coulter for a 1-0 Rattlers lead.
The Chiefs wasted a one-out double in the second before grabbing the lead for good in the third against Preston Gainey. C.J. McElroy Jr. led off with a walk and Carson Kelly drew a two-out walk. With two on and two out, Rowan Wick launched a three-run homer over the 405 marker at the right-center field flag poles for his second homer with the Chiefs and 16th overall in 2014.
The Chiefs added on with solo tallies over each of the next two innings. In the fourth Vaughn Bryan walked and moved to second on a two-out wild pitch. McElroy beat out an infield single to first and Bryan never stopped running as he scored ahead of the throw home by Gainey. With the Chiefs up 4-1, Harvey Martin took over on the mound in the fifth inning and walked Juan Herrera before hitting Justin Ringo with a pitch. Two outs later, Ronald Castillo singled to left as Herrera scored for a 5-1 Chiefs lead.
Wisconsin cut into the lead in the sixth as Kaminsky walked Michael Ratterree and Coulter singled. With one down Jhonny Polanco entered the game for Kaminsky and walked Omar Garcia to load the bases. Jose Pena popped out by Angel Ortega singled home two runs charged to Kaminsky before Polanco retired Paul Eschelman to end the inning.
The Chiefs put the game away in the top of the seventh. Kelly singled with one out and moved to second on a single by Wick. With two down Cesar Valera singled home Kelly and two runs scored on a double off the right-field wall by Richy Pedroza. Bryan beat out an infield single to second and Pedroza scored the final run of the game as McFarland threw wild to first base for a 9-3 Chiefs lead.
Kaminsky (6-2) earned the win after allowing three runs on five hits over 5 1/3 innings. He walked three, hit one and struck out six while leaving with a 5-1 lead. Polanco allowed one hit and walked one over 2 2/3 innings. He struck out four and allowed two inherited runners to score. Steve Sabatino retired all three batters faced with one strikeout.
Notes: The Chiefs are 5-5 against Wisconsin and the two teams will play eight more games in August, seven in Peoria…The 12 hits are tied for the most in any game in the second half and the most since the Chiefs had 15 on June 15, the final game of the first half…The Chiefs had five different players with multi-hit games for the first time since six players had at least two hits on June 15…Both of Wick's home runs with the Chiefs have been three-run shots…Wick has three two-hit games on the roadtrip…Sabatino lowered his ERA to 0.55…Castillo collected his first RBI since July 17…The nine runs are the most since the Chiefs won 10-6 at Burlington on July 12…McElroy leads the Cardinals minor leaguers with 30 stolen bases…He is the 23rd player to reach the 30 steal mark in franchise history…After the Wick home run in the third inning the Chiefs led at the end of an inning for the first time in 26 innings…Kaminsky is tied for the team lead in wins with Alex Reyes and Arturo Reyes…The Chiefs will have a rotation change before Monday's series against Kane County with all three pitchers for that series yet to be announced…The Wisconsin series and roadtrip end on Sunday at 1:05 p.m.as the Chiefs start RH Arturo Reyes (6-7, 3.75) against Rattlers newcomer RH Javier Salas (0-0, 0.00)…The broadcast can be heard, starting with the Pre-Game Show at 12:50 p.m., on www.peoriachiefs.com/listenlive which also has downloads for a free app on the iPhone, iPad, Blackberry and Android. The broadcast is also available on the Peoria Chiefs Network in the Tune-In Radio App.