Chiefs Lose Series Finale Monday

Appleton , WI - The Peoria Chiefs gave up runs in six straight innings and lost to the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers 19-5 Monday afternoon. The Chiefs are now 10-7 in the second half and 49-38 overall heading into the first scheduled off day of the second half.

    The Chiefs fell behind in the second inning as the Rattlers batted around against Paul Balestrieri.
Balestrieri started the inning by hitting Trever Morrison and Wisconsin loaded the bases on a Gilbert Lara single and a walk to Jay Feliciano. Brent Diaz singled for a 1-0 lead and Nic Pierre made it 2- with a single to center. Zach Clark doubled the lead with a single to left before Pierre was caught stealing third and Balestrieri struck out former Chiefs infielder Darren Seferina. Tristen Lutz walked before KJ Harrison popped out to end the inning.
     The Chiefs responded immediately against reliever Matt Hardy in the third by also batting around. Nick Plummer started a two-out rally with a walk and he scored when Irving Lopez doubled off the left-field wall. Yariel Gonzalez drove in Lopez with a single and Wood Myers doubled to put two in scoring position. Bryce Denton tied the game 4-4 with a pop-up to right that fell between two sliding Rattlers defenders.
     The game wasn't tied long as Morrison knocked the first pitch of the bottom of the inning for a double to right and Lara made it 5-4 with a single on the next pitch. The Rattlers blew the game open in the fourth as they batted around again. Clark singled to start the frame, Lutz walked and Morrison singled to right with two outs for a 6-4 Wisconsin lead. CJ Saylor came out of the bullpen to relieve Balestrieri and walked the first three batters he faced to force in two runs and put Wisconsin on top 8-4.
    The Rattlers scored twice against Saylor in the fifth as well to go on top 10-4 as Morrison drove in both runs. They added two more in the sixth against Bryan Dobzanski as well. Pierre singled home Diaz with one out and scored on a triple by Clark as Wisconsin took a 12-4 lead.
    The game got out of hand in the seventh inning as Wisconsin batted around for a third time and scored seven runs against Levi MaVorhis. Harrison and Morrison both singled before Jay Feliciano's one-out single made it 13-4. A sacrifice fly from Diaz added a run and Clark doubled home another for a 15-4 lead. Seferina's single made it 16-4 and Lutz launched a three-run homer over the Wisconsin bullpen for a 19-4 lead.
    The Chiefs scored the final run of the game in the ninth against Robbie Hitt. Jose Martinez walked with one out and Plummer singled to right. Lopez drove in Martinez with a single as Plummer was thrown out at third on the play. Hitt struck out Gonzalez to end the game with Lopez at first.
    Balestrieri (5-4) took the loss as he allowed a career-high eight runs on nine hits over 3 2/3 innings. He walked four and struck out three while also hitting one. Saylor walked a career-high four over 2/3 of an inning and allowed two runs on one hit. Dobzanski allowed two runs on four hits over 1 2/3 innings while walking one and striking out two. MaVorhis allowed seven runs on seven hits in one inning of work while recording a strikeout. Fabian Blanco was the only Chiefs pitcher to not allow a run as he tossed a 1-2-3 eighth inning.