Chiefs Explode Late in 9-2 Triumph Over Dragons

DAYTON, OH - Lights out pitching, timely hitting and a six-run ninth served as the winning recipe for the Chiefs in a 9-2 win over the Dayton Dragons Saturday. Peoria will look to secure a series victory Sunday from Day Air Ballpark.

For the second consecutive night, it was Dayton who plated the first run. After Chiefs starter Austin Love punched out the first batter of the contest, Jose Torres cranked a solo homer to left to make it a 1-0 contest. The right-hander quickly recalibrated and retired the next five batters he faced.

In the third, Peoria answered to tie the score. After Noah Mendlinger led off the inning with a hustle double, Patrick Romeri followed suit. Romeri, who was named the Cardinals Minor League Co-Player of the Month for July on Saturday, smoked a double to left center to knot the game at 1-1.

In the fourth, another Peoria newcomer delivered for the Chiefs offense. With a runner on first, Aaron McKeithan connected on his first High-A blast, a two-run shot, to give the Chiefs a 3-1 lead.

Love continued to cruise until he runned into a mini jam in the fifth. Dayton put two men aboard with just one out in the frame before Love promptly punched out the next two batters he faced to end the inning. He then worked an efficient sixth inning to qualify for a quality start. All told, Love scattered just three hits over six innings while punching out seven.

Dayton started their rally in the seventh against the first man out of the Peoria ‘pen, Levi Prater. Austin Hendrick cranked a solo homer off the batter’s eye in center to make it a 3-2 ballgame. Prater then worked around a pair of baserunners in the eight to keep the Chiefs in front. The left-hander retired Noelvi Marte, the Reds top prospect, to end the frame.

In the ninth, Peoria tacked on more than just an insurance run. The Chiefs sent all nine men to the plate and scored six times. After LJ Jones led off the inning with a double, the Chiefs took advantage of a Dayton error. Tyler Reichenborn laid down a sac bunt back to the mound. Dragons pitcher James Marinan fielded the ball cleanly but chucked the throw into the Peoria bullpen to score Jones and boost the lead to 4-2. Three batters later, it was Romeri again. With the bases loaded and no one out, the slugger cleared the bases with a three-run double into the left field corner and the Chiefs led 7-2. A Tommy Jew triple extended the Chiefs advantage to 8-2. An Osvaldo Tovalin sac fly capped off the busy ninth inning.

With a 9-2 lead, Gianluca Dalatri lost his opportunity to record a save, but he was up to the task. Dalatri struck out the side to end the ballgame.

The series wraps up Sunday at 1:09 EST/12:09 CST. Dionys Rodriguez will toe the slab in an effort to earn his third-straight winning decision.