Chiefs Get Walked Off Thursday

Appelton, WI - The Peoria Chiefs blew two leads and lost 4-3 to the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers on a two-run walk-off home run Thursday night. The loss drops the Chiefs to 31-29 in the second half but Beloit also lost so the Chiefs maintain a 2 ½ game lead with 10 games to play.
    Facing former Major Leaguer Adrian Houser who is working his way back from Tommy John surgery, the Chiefs jumped on top in the second inning. Evan Mendoza singled with two outs and moved to second on a wild pitch. Juan Yepez beat out an infield single behind the bag at third and Mendoza never stopped running as he slid home safely ahead of the throw from first base. Matt Fiedler singled and both runners advanced on a wild pitch but Houser stranded runners at second and third.

    The Chiefs still led 1-0 into the seventh with Max Almonte on the mound as the third pitcher of the night. With one out Joantgel Segovia singled to right to put the tying run on base. Zach Clark, the #8 hitter in the lineup, launched his third home run of the season over the high left-field wall for a 2-1 Rattlers lead.
     Peoria bounced right back in the eighth inning against lefty Drake Owenby. Mick Fennell beat out an infield single to first base to start the inning before Dylan Carlson popped up a sacrifice bunt attempt. Brian O'Keefe put the Chiefs on top 3-2 with a long home run past the video board in left-center, his 15^th of the season and 33^rd in his Chiefs career.
    Wisconsin led off the bottom of the ninth with a double by Dallas Carroll off reliever Austin Sexton. The next batter, Ronnie Gideon, hit a walk-off two-run homer off the videoboard to give Wisconsin a 4-3 win.
    Oxnevad took a no-decision as he fired five shutout innings as he allowed two hits and struck out three without issuing a walk. Colton Thomson threw 2/3 of an inning as he allowed two singles and struck out two without allowing a run. Almonte allowed two runs on two hits over 1 2/3 innings as he struck out one. Sexton (3-2) took the loss as he allowed two runs on two hits over one inning as he struck out one.
Notes…O'Keefe moved into a tie for fifth on the Chiefs career home runs list with 33 which matches Joe Freitas (1997)…He has more homers (8) against Wisconsin than against any other team…The homer is his fifth at NeuroScience Group Field, tying Clinton's Ashford University Field for most road homers…He has four homers off left-handers this season, 10 on the road and seven go-ahead home runs with four game winners…The Chiefs are 3-56 when trailing after seven innings…The Chiefs have allowed 111 home runs this season, passing the 2011 team for second most in team history, four behind the record set in 2008…Peoria has 16 blown saves with two on Thursday…The homer in the seventh snapped a 19 2/3 inning shutout streak for Chiefs pitchers…The Chiefs are 21-18 in the final game of a series, 11-9 on the road…The Chiefs are 6-6 in the rubber game of a 3-game series, 2-4 on the road…The Chiefs hare 54-2 when leading after eight innings and 20-24 in one run games…Peoria has lost 16 games in the opponents final at-bat…Oxnevad had his first shutout appearance since his last win, July 6 against Beloit…He leads the Chiefs with 22 starts this season and the Chiefs are 8-13 in those games…Oxnevad is sixth in the MWL with 127 innings pitched…The first-pitch temperature of 64 degrees is the coolest since a 62-degree start on June 26…With 10 games left, seven at home, the Chiefs lead Beloit by 2 ½ games, Clinton by three, Wisconsin by four and Burlington by six in the Wild Card race…The Chiefs hold the tiebreaker over Beloit, Clinton and Burlington…Peoria and Wisconsin tied the season series 7-7 and both teams scored 66 runs, but Wisconsin wins the third tie break having won the last game played between the two teams…The final homestand of the season starts Friday at 7:00 pm as the Chiefs host Kane County with a post-game Fireworks show…The Chiefs will start LH Evan Kruczynski (3-3, 3.79) against Cougars RH Riley Smith (2-1, 3.29)…Friday is Susan G. Komen Pink in the Park Night with the Chiefs players wearing special pink jerseys that will be auctioned…The first 1000 fans 13 and over get a Peoria Redwings pink t-shirt…The broadcast can be heard, starting with the pregame show at 6:45 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 Radio Network in the Tune-In Radio App.