Chiefs squeeze past Lugnut, split series

LANSING, Mich. – The Peoria Chiefs dropped down a pair of successful safety squeezes, including one in a pivotal six-run fourth inning, and held on to defeat the Lansing Lugnuts (29-33), 7-6, before a Sunday afternoon Father’s Day crowd of 6,342 at Jackson® Field™.

With the result, the Chiefs split the six-game series – the first games between the two teams since 2019 and the only meetings of the season. Five of the six games were decided by one run, with the sole exception coming in a 5-3 Lugnuts tenth-inning win on Saturday thanks to a Brayan Buelvas walk-off two-run homer.

The final four games of the series totaled 28,394 fans, averaging over 7,000 fans per game.

But while the crowds were big, the name of the game was small ball. Ramon Mendoza broke a scoreless tie in the second inning, squeezing home Jeremy Rivas for a 1-0 Peoria lead.

Two innings later, after a Lugnuts two-run rally put the hosts in front, Peoria rallied. A run-scoring fielding error by first baseman Danny Bautista, Jr., and a Mendoza sacrifice fly gave Peoria back the lead at 3-2, and Tyler Reichenborn dropped down a sacrifice bunt to squeeze in Osvaldo Tovalin. Two batters later, Nathan Church added an RBI single to go up 5-2.

In a horrifying event moments later, Aaron McKeithan, the ninth batter of the inning, lined a Mitch Myers offering off the Lansing starting pitcher’s head, resulting in an RBI single. Myers was quickly transported to Sparrow hospital.

The six-run rally ended with McKeithan breaking for second base to draw a throw, allowing Church to score from third for a 7-2 lead.

Peoria was blanked from that point on by the combined efforts of John Beller (1 1/3 innings), Stevie Emanuels (two innings) and Christian Fernandez (two innings).

In the last of the seventh, Lansing’s offense struck back. Max Muncy doubled off reliever Gustavo Rodriguez and Drew Swift swiftly singled him home. After a walk to Jack Winkler, Jonny Butler belted his team-leading seventh home run of the year, a three-run shot, and the Lugnuts were suddenly within one run at 7-6.

In the eighth, Euribiel Ángeles and Muncy singled off Roy García and pulled off a double steal to put the tying run at third and the go-ahead run at second. But García struck out Swift and induced a grounder to third from Winkler. Ángeles strayed too far from the bag and was tagged out by Osvaldo Tovalin, who whipped the ball across the infield for an inning-ending double play.

García then struck out Butler, Buelvas and Junior Pérez in order in the ninth to preserve the win.

In defeat both Muncy and Butler collected three hits. Muncy has 10 hits in his last 20 at-bats while Butler has reached base in 10 of his last 12 plate appearances.

The Lugnuts enjoy a league-wide off day Monday before embarking on a 12-game, 13-day road trip to Wisconsin and Great Lakes beginning Tuesday. The next Lansing home game arrives on July 4th, opening a six-game homestand with Lake County. Tickets are available via lansinglugnuts.com or by calling (517) 485-4500 during office hours.

# # #