Brookshire Dominates but Chiefs Lose 3-0
PEORIA, IL- Chase Brookshire allowed only one earned run over eight stellar innings but the Peoria Chiefs offense could only garner three singles in a 3-0 loss to the Beloit Snappers on Tuesday night. The loss is the Chiefs sixth in a row and drops their record to 27-30 in the second half and 64-62 overall with 13 games remaining.
Both starting pitchers of Brookshire and Matt Stalcup dazzled. Brookshire struck out a career-high eight batters over a career-high eight innings and one of the two runs he allowed was unearned. Stalcup was even better as he tossed the complete game shutout on just three hits and struck out eight without issuing a walk. Stalcup did not allow a runner to get to second base until CJ McElroy Jr. singled in the ninth and took second base on defensive indifference.
A scoreless game was broken by Beloit with an unearned run in the fifth inning against Brookshire. Luis Baez hit a one-out single and took second on McElroy's error in center field. Branden Cogswell followed with a single to send Baez to third. Melvin Mercedes hit a sacrifice fly to right to score Baez for a 1-0 Snappers lead.
Beloit added a run with one swing of the bat in the sixth. With one out, Michael Soto hit a line drive that just cleared the yellow home run line in left field for his fourth home run of the year.
The Snappers got an insurance run in the ninth against Robert Stock. With one out, Justin Higley singled, stole second and moved to third on a fly ball to right. After Cogswell walked, Mercedes lined a single to right scoring Higley and Tyler Bray replaced Stock.
Brookshire (4-7) pitched eight innings allowing two runs (one earned) allowing six hits with one walk and eight strikeouts but suffered the loss. Stock recorded two outs and allowed a run on two hits with a walk. Bray needed just one pitch to retire the only batter he faced.
Notes: Brookshire's previous career-high in innings was seven on July 24 against Lansing and his most strikeouts was seven on June 11 against Kane County…Vaughn Bryan was placed on the disabled list before the game after leaving mid-at bat on Monday…Luis Perez was activated off the DL to take Bryan's roster spot and played for the first time since July 27…The Chiefs were shut out for the 12th time this year…It was the second opponent's complete game shutout of the year, with the first by Burlington's Harrison Cooney on May 30…The Chiefs have 50 quality starts…The Chiefs have lost six games in a row for the first time all season…The three-game series wraps up Wednesday at 6:30 p.m.…The Chiefs start RHP Luis Perdomo (2-4, 4.20) against RHP Junior Mendez (2-7, 4.40) for Beloit…It's a Dollar Dog Wins-Day presented by Eisenberg with hot dogs, ice cream sandwiches and sodas on sale for just $1…If the Chiefs lose, all fans will receive a free ticket to a future Monday-Wednesday game…The broadcast can be heard, starting with the Pre-Game Show at 6:15 p.m., on www.peoriachiefs.com/listenlive which also has downloads for a free app on the iPhone, iPad, Blackberry and Android. The broadcast is also available on the Peoria Chiefs Network in the Tune-In Radio App.