Herrera Homers, Chiefs Win 7-4 Monday

Appleton, WI - The Peoria Chiefs scored three runs in the top of the first and never looked back in a 7-4 win over the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers in the first game of a nine-game, eight-day road trip Monday evening. The win moves the Chiefs to 19-23 on the season as they pass Wisconsin in the standings with a double header set for Tuesday.

      The Chiefs jumped out to an early lead against Rattlers starter Adam Hill. Delvin Perez led off the game with a single and Ivan Herrera launched a two-run homer over the high wall in left field, his fifth of the season. With two outs, Brady Whalen singled and Brendan Donovan was hit by a pitch. Malcom Nunez gave the Chiefs a 3-0 lead with a RBI single to center before Hill got out of the inning.
     Alvaro Seijas cruised through four innings and the Chiefs added to the lead in the fifth. Herrera doubled with one out and Nolan Gorman drew a walk before a fielders' choice picked up an out at third base. Whalen's third double in his last six at-bats plated two more runs and put the Chiefs on top 5-0.
     Wisconsin collected three straight extra-base hits in the fifth to score three runs against Seijas. The big blow in the inning was a two-run homer by Antonio Pinero, his first of the season. Wisconsin loaded the bases against Sebastian Tabata in the seventh and plated a run on a bases loaded walk to cut the lead to 5-4.
      The Chiefs added insurance in the top of the ninth against Tyler Gilles. Herrera walked with one out and Gorman singled to center. Whalen walked to load the bases with two down and Donovan was hit by a pitch for the third time in the game to put the Chiefs up 6-4. Nunez drew a walk to score Gorman for a 7-4 lead before Gilles got out of the inning.
      Seijas (3-4) got the win as he allowed three runs on seven hits and three walks over 5 1/3 innings as he struck out three. Tabata allowed one unearned run on one hit and two walks over 1 2/3 innings as he struck out three. Edgar Escobar picked up his third save with two shutout innings as he allowed one hit and struck out four.  
     The teams will play a double header Tuesday at 5:05 p.m. to make up a game rained out in Peoria on April 11. The Chiefs are expected to start LH Diego Cordero (2-2, 1.66) in game one and RH Michael Brettell (1-0, 1.23) in game two. Wisconsin will counter with RH Logan Gillespie (0-0, 2.96) in game one and RH Freisis Adames (0-0, 0.00) in his 2019 debut in game two. The broadcast can be heard, starting with the Pre-Game Show at 4:50 p.m. on the Peoria Chiefs Tune-In Page, which is free and also has a free app for smartphones and tablets.