Errors Costly as Chiefs Drop Series Opener to Quad Cities

DAVENPORT, IA – The Peoria Chiefs couldn’t overcome a tough night defensively, falling 10-3 to the Quad Cities River Bandits in the opener of a six-game series Tuesday at Modern Woodmen Park.

Peoria committed five errors in the loss, as Quad Cities took advantage at nearly every turn. A brief push from the Chiefs in the fourth inning wasn’t enough to offset the defensive miscues and timely River Bandits hitting.

Chiefs starter Darlin Saladin cruised through a scoreless first inning but ran into trouble in the second. Quad Cities strung together three straight singles, with Trevor Werner’s RBI knock to left field getting the scoring started. In the third inning, a throwing error on a pickoff attempt brought home another run, and Carson Roccaforte followed with a two-run homer to right, which made it 4-0.

Peoria responded in the top of the fourth. After a walk and a single, Joshua Baez put the Chiefs on the board with an RBI single to center. Moments later, Won-Bin Cho drove in a run with a double to the gap in left center, cutting the deficit to 4-2. A Miguel Villarroel sac fly on a foul out capped the three-run inning.

But the momentum was short-lived. In the bottom half, Werner blasted a two-run homer, and three more singles followed, including an RBI base hit from Daniel Vasquez that pushed the lead to 7-3 and ended Saladin’s outing. Left-hander Michael Watson provided a solid effort in relief, striking out two to escape a bases-loaded jam. He tossed two scoreless innings in his High-A debut Tuesday.

Quad Cities kept the pressure on late. In the sixth, a two-out throwing error by shortstop Miguel Villarroel allowed another run to score. In the seventh, Canyon Brown doubled, stole third, and came home on a throwing error by catcher Ryan Campos. One inning later, another Villarroel error after a single from Bryan Gonzalez capped the scoring at 10-3, and the Chiefs dropped the opener.

Game two of the series is scheduled for 11:00 a.m. Wednesday. Right-hander Gerardo Salas is set to make the start for Peoria.