Late Peoria Homer Hits Wisconsin Hard

GRAND CHUTE, WI – The Peoria Chiefs scored four runs over the final three innings to defeat the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers 7-6 Wednesday afternoon at Neuroscience Group Field at Fox Cities Stadium. The big blow was a two-out, two-run home run by Osvaldo Tovalin in the top of the eighth inning to give the Chiefs a 6-5 win on the way to their first win of the young Midwest League season.

Click here for the boxscore of this game

Click to hear the Timber Rattlers Review Postgame Podcast

Wisconsin (2-3) scored single runs in the second and third innings to take a 2-0 lead. In the second, Ben Metzinger drew a walk with two outs and went to second on a wild pitch. Then, Je’Von Ward lined a single to right to score Metzinger with the first run of the game. In the third, Terrence Doston hit a lead-off triple. Robert Moore drove in Doston with a grounder.

The Chiefs (1-4) staged a two-out rally in the fourth inning to tie the game. Thomas Francisco singled and Elijah Cabell walked on a 3-2 pitch. Nathan Church blooped a single right-center to score Francisco and send Cabell to third. Peoria pulled a double steal with Church drawing a throw to second and Cabell beating the throw home to score the tying run.

Francisco delivered a two-out, two-strike single in the top of the fifth to put Peoria up 3-2.

The Rattlers knocked Peoria starting pitcher Zane Mills out of the game in the bottom of the sixth inning when Moore and Joe Gray Jr started the frame with singles. Eduardo Garcia greeted Peoria reliever Ian Bedell by blasting a 2-1 pitch over the Chiefs bullpen in left-center for a 5-3 lead.

The Chiefs kept the pressure on the Timber Rattlers as they loaded the bases with three straight singles in the top of the seventh and Mendoza drove in a run with a sacrifice fly to cut the Wisconsin lead to one against reliever Ryan Brady.

Wisconsin had an opportunity to add to their lead in the bottom of the seventh as Bedell allowed a walk, a single, and a hit batsman to the first three batters to load the bases with no outs. However, Bedell bounced back to strike out the next three batters to deny the Rattlers any insurance.

Taylor Floyd took over for Brady in the top of the eighth inning and retired the first two batters. Aaron McKeithian was next and he hit a high pop to shallow left the dropped in for a single to extend the inning. That allowed Tovalin to crack a go-ahead, two-run home run deep to right field and the Chiefs had a 6-5 lead.

Peoria tacked on an insurance run in the top of the ninth on a sacrifice fly by Francisco.

Moore cracked a long, solo home run to right with one out in the bottom of the ninth off Peoria closer Andrew Marrero, but that was as close as the Rattlers would get. Moore had three hits and was a triple shy of the cycle. He has driven in two runs in each of his last three games.

Game three of the series is Thursday night at Neuroscience Group Field. Joseph Hernandez (0-0, 4.50) is the scheduled starting pitcher for the Timber Rattlers. Tink Hence (0-0, 0.00) is set to start for the Chiefs. Game time is 6:40pm.

It’s a Craft Brews & Brats Night presented by Fox River Brewing Company and The Score. There are a lot of new craft beers available around Neuroscience Group Field and fans of legal drinking age may purchase any 16-ounce craft beer for $3 on this night. All fans can purchase a Cher-Make brat for $3, too.

If you can’t make it out to the ballpark, the broadcast on AM1280, WNAM starts with the Community Blood Center Pregame Show at 6:20pm. Fans can listen on the radio, on the First Pitch app, or at this link.