Chiefs snap Captains' winning streak

(Peoria, IL) - Angel Rondon delivered a stunning performance for the Peoria Chiefs (11-9, 50-40) in his Midwest League debut on Friday night at Dozer Park. The right-hander spun 7.2 innings and held the Lake County Captains (11-11, 40-52) to one run, en route to a 4-1 Chiefs win in the series finale. The Captains' five-game winning streak came to a close.
Rondon retired the first six Captains he faced before Miguel Eladio singled to lead off the third. The right-hander did not have to pitch from the stretch for long. Jesse Berardi came up next and hit a swinging bunt up the first base line. Catcher Julio Rodriguez threw Berardi out at first and Eladio stumbled as he took a turn around second base. First baseman Yariel Gonzalez fired to shortstop Rayder Ascanio and the Chiefs caught Eladio in a rundown between second and third. Ascanio threw to third baseman Jose Martinez, who chased down Eladio and applied the tag for a 2-3-6-5 double play.

Rondon remained untouchable over the next several innings. Following Eladio's single, the right-hander set down 13 men in a row before Oscar Gonzalez busted the streak with a two-out single in the seventh. Rondon then fanned Jose Vicente to end the inning. Through seven frames in his Midwest League debut, Rondon had held the Captains scoreless and surrendered just two singles.
The Chiefs' offense provided Rondon with early run support. Two batters into the bottom of the first, Rayder Ascanio hit a solo home run to left to open the scoring. The long ball was Ascanio's first home run and RBI in 23 games with Peoria. The next inning, Wood Myers hit an infield single toward shortstop and stole second. He then moved to third on a wild pitch and scored on another wild pitch to push the Chiefs' lead to 2-0. Peoria added a run in the fifth on a solo home run by Jose Martinez. All three runs came against Lake County starter Kirk McCarty .
Peoria tacked on a run against the Captains' bullpen in the seventh. Right-handed reliever Luis Jimenez walked Bryce Denton with one out and moved to second when Eladio bobbled a potential double play ball at second. Later in the frame, Irving Lopez singled to score Denton and give Peoria a 4-0 lead.
The Captains finally got to Rondon in the eighth. With two outs, Eladio dribbled an infield single down the third base line and Berardi lined a single into right, moving Eladio to third. Gabriel Mejia then yanked a single into the right-centerfield gap. Eladio scored to cut the Chiefs' lead to 4-1 and bring the tying run to the plate.
Peoria called on lefty Fabian Blanco to escape the jam. Blanco came in to face Todd Isaacs with two men aboard in a three-run game. The southpaw struck out Isaacs to end the inning and set down all three men he faced in the ninth to nail down his sixth save of the year.
Rondon (1-0) earned the win in his first start at the Class-A level. The right-hander pitched 7.2 innings and allowed one run on five hits. He struck out six and did not walk a batter.
McCarty (2-9) took the loss. The lefty pitched five innings and surrendered three runs on five hits. He struck out five and did not walk a batter.
The Chiefs may have snapped Lake County's five-game winning streak, but the Captains have clinched two consecutive series victories. Lake County continues its road trip with a three-game series against the Cedar Rapids Kernels. First pitch at Veterans Memorial Stadium is scheduled for 7:35 p.m. ET.
Information about Classic Park or the Captains can be found online at www.captainsbaseball.com and by phone at 440-954-<st1:stockticker w:st="on">WINS (9467). Affordable ticket packages and group party and picnic options are available now.