Chiefs Take Series Against Whitecaps 6-4

Comstock Park, MI - The Peoria Chiefs scored three runs in the eighth inning and closed out the West Michigan Whitecaps for a 6-4 win on Wednesday afternoon as they clinched the series 2-1. The win moves the Chiefs to 15-15 as they have won nine of the last 11 heading into South Bend for a three-game series.

      The Chiefs fell behind in the first inning as the Whitecaps snapped Diego Cordero's long shutout streak. Reece Hampton blooped a hustle double to right to start the frame and Wencel Perez walked. Johnny Valente gave the Chiefs a free out with a sac bunt but with two down, Parker Meadows knocked a single to left for a 2-0 Whitecaps lead.
     The Chiefs tied the game against Kacey Murphy in the fourth. Delvin Perez led off with his second single of the game and Josh Shaw singled to center. With one out Perez moved to third on a deep fly ball and both runners scored when Brendan Donovan doubled off the left-field wall.
     West Michigan regained the lead on a pickoff error in the fourth but the Chiefs came right back to tie the game in the fifth. Edwin Figuera singled to center with two outs and Perez moved him to third with a single to right. Shaw tied the game 3-3 with a single to center but Perez was thrown out at third on the play to end the inning.
     Peoria took the lead in a wild eighth inning. Figuera led off with a single against reliever Jose Vazquez and Perez laid down a sacrifice bunt. Vazquez's throw to first went into the Whitecaps bullpen allowing Figuera to reach third and Perez advanced to second. With one down, West Michigan intentionally walked Lars Nootbaar and brought Jared Tobey out of the bullpen. While pitching to Brady Whalen, Tobey fell down on the mound for a balk allowing Figuera to score the go-ahead run. Whalen drove a two-run single to left to give the Chiefs a 6-3 lead before Tobey escaped the inning with two Chiefs stranded.
     Cordero delivered six innings in a no-decision has he allowed three runs, two earned, on six hits while walking one and striking out six. Sebastian Tabata (2-1) picked up the win as he allowed one unearned run on one hit and one walk while striking out two over two innings. Edgar Escobar picked up his second save of the season with a strikeout in a 1-2-3 ninth inning.
     The Chiefs now head to South Bend, IN for a three-game series. The opener is scheduled for 6:05 p.m. central Thursday with the Chiefs throwing RH Alvaro Seijas (1-3, 2.88) against a TBA South Bend pitcher. The broadcast can be heard, starting with the Pre-Game Show at 5:50 p.m. on the Peoria Chiefs Tune-In Page, which is free and also has a free app for smartphones and tablets.