Wilson Homers Chiefs to Win
Cedar Rapids, IA- The Peoria Chiefs scored eight unanswered runs and beat the first-place Cedar Rapids Kernels 8-3 on Thursday night for their third straight win. The win moves the Chiefs to 17-15 on the half and 55-44 overall as they go for the sweep Friday night.
The game was scoreless into the bottom of the third as Peoria's Ben O'Shea and Cedar Rapids pitcher Josue Montanez each pitched out of an early jam. The Kernels grabbed the lead in the third when Jeremias Pineda singled, stole second and scored on a single by Jorge Polanco. Cedar Rapids added on in the fourth as Max Kepler and Travis Harrison both reached and scored on a double to left by Joel Licon for a 3-0 lead.
Peoria finally broke through against Montanez in the fifth inning as Ildemaro Vargas singled and Trevor Martin doubles. Gerwuins Velazco brought home the first run with a groundout and CJ McElroy singled home Martin to cut the lead to 3-2. McElroy moved to second on an error but was left in scoring position.
Montanez started the seventh inning with a one-run lead but walked Velazco with one out and McElroy singled to center. Both runners moved up on a groundout to first base and Jacob Wilson hit a 0-2 pitch over the left-field wall for a 3-run home run and a 5-3 Chiefs lead. The home run was the 15th of the season for Wilson and he leads the Chiefs with 67 RBI.
Peoria added on in each of the next two innings against Kernels relievers. With two outs in the eighth, Vargas walked, Martin reached on an infield single and Velazco walked to load the bases. McElroy singled to center of Dallas Gallant to put the Chiefs on top 7-3 as two runs scored. Alex Muren came out of the bullpen and escaped the eighth before the Chiefs scored a run off him in the ninth. The last run was unearned as Valera's grounder scored Wilson who had reached on an error to start the frame.
O'Shea (1-0) earned his first Chiefs win after allowing three runs on 10 hits over six innings. The lefty struck out three, hit a batter and did not issue a walk. Joe Scanio got the Chiefs out of a jam in the seventh and earned his team-leading seventh hold with four strikeouts over two hitless and shutout innings. Dixon Llorens allowed one hit and walked one while striking out three in the ninth in a non-save situation
Notes: Peoria has won four straight road games dating back to July 14 in Great Lakes…The Chiefs also won four straight road games June 13-16…Both series in Cedar Rapids this season have been sweeps, one by each team and the Chiefs go for the sweep Friday night…O'Shea picked up the quality start in his second Peoria outing…Scanio tied a season and career high with four strikeouts…Each of the last nine outs Llorens has recorded have been via the strikeout…Wilson now has two homers off lefties and nine on the road…Twelve of his 15 homers have either tied the game or put the Chiefs on top…Wilson is tied with Patrick Wisdom for the team lead with 16 multi-RBI games…McElroy had his first three-hit game and second three-RBI game of the season…Valera has consecutive multi-hit games and leads the team with 30 on the season…Martin tied a career-high with three hits and is 5-for-8 with two doubles to start his Chiefs career…The Chiefs tied a season-high at 11 games over .500 and have not been 12 games over .500 since finishing the 2009 season 81-57…The Chiefs are 5-3 in Cedar Rapids this season and 7-4 overall against the Kernels…The series continues in Cedar Rapids on Friday at 6:35 p.m. as the Chiefs send RH Chris Perry (1-0, 2.25) to the hill against Kernels LH Brett Lee (7-4, 3.30)…The broadcast can be heard, starting with the Premier Print Group pre-game show at 6:20 p.m. on www.peoriachiefs.com/listenlive which also has downloads for a free app on the iPhone, iPad, Blackberry and Android.