Chiefs Top Kernels 5-2

PEORIA, ILL - Jalin Flores crushed a two-run home run in the bottom of the fourth to give the Chiefs the lead they would never lose in a 5-2 victory over Cedar Rapids Wednesday afternoon.

After not leading in the series opener on Tuesday, the Kernels got on the board first on Wednesday. Jaime Ferrer worked a walk to begin the third and moved to second on a Khadim Diaw hit-by-pitch. The next batter, Jacob McCombs, put the Kernels in front with an RBI double to make it 1-0.

That lead was good enough early for Cedar Rapids starter Dasan Hill. Hill struck out seven of the first nine batters he faced through three perfect innings to begin the day.

The Chiefs broke through in the fourth. With two outs in the inning, Jesús Báez doubled and came in to score a batter later on a Josh Kross RBI single. With Kross still on, Jalin Flores lifted a two-run home run to left to put Peoria on top 3-1.

That stayed the score until the Kernels' half of the seventh. Marek Houston doubled to begin the inning, and the next batter, Eduardo Tait, followed suit with an RBI two-base hit to bring Cedar Rapids within a run, 3-2. But with no one out in the inning, Tait did not advance from second, and it stayed 3-2 after six and a half.

In the bottom of the inning, Peoria added insurance. A hit-by-pitch followed by a José Suárez double put two in scoring position for Ian Petrutz, who plated both with a single to grow the lead to 5-2, the score that would be the final.

The loss drops the Kernels to 7-10 on the season and to 2-8 in their last 10. The six-game series in Peoria continues on Thursday at 6:35 with Jason Doktorczyk on the mound, opposite Leonel Sequera.