Chiefs Blast Snappers Thursday

Beloit, WI - The Peoria Chiefs offense broke out with a season-high 12 runs on three homers and four doubles in a 12-2 win over the Beloit Snappers Thursday night. The win ends a three-game losing streak and moves the Chiefs to 9-9 on the season as they head north to Appleton for three more games.

     The Chiefs broke out in a big way in the top of the first against Snappers starter Byrce Conley. Nick Plummer launched the second pitch of the game over the right-field fence for his first homer of the season and a 1-0 lead. With two outs Yariel Gonzalez and Elehuris Montero delivered consecutive singles and Bryce Denton walked. Jonatan Machado cleared the bases with a double over the head of a leaping right-fielder to put the Chiefs on top 4-0. Julio Rodriguez capped the inning with a single to center to score Machado for a 5-0 Chiefs lead.
     The Chiefs kept the pressure on with another run in the second. Taylor Bryant doubled down the right field line with one out and he scored on a two-out single to left by Gonzalez who was thrown out at second to end the inning.
     Beloit got on the board against Chiefs starter Evan Guillory in the second. Logan Farrar hit his second homer of the season, the first allowed by Guillory, to start the inning as the Chiefs lead was cut to 6-1.
     The Chiefs got that run back in the fourth inning with another leadoff homer. This time it came off the bat of Rodriguez, his first of the season, and carried over the high batters' eye in centerfield.
     With the Chiefs leading 7-1, Beloit tallied another run in the sixth. With one out and two on, Farrar singled to right to plate Trace Loehr. Guillory induced a double play off the bat of Hunter Hargrove to end the inning with the Chiefs up 7-2.
      Peoria put the game away in the seventh as they batted around again. Scott Hurst reached on a throwing error and with two down Montero also reached on a throwing error. Beloit brought in Seth Martinez from the bullpen and after a wild pitch moved the runners up one base, Denton made it 8-2 with a single to right. Machado picked up two more RBI with a single to left for a 10-2 lead before Rodriguez crushed his second homer of the game for a 12-2 advantage.
     Guillory (2-1) earned the win over a career-high eight innings. He allowed two runs on seven hits while striking out five. Cory Malcom threw a perfect ninth inning with two strikeouts.
Notes…Chiefs starting pitchers have gone at least 5 2/3 innings in nine straight games…In those nine games the starters have allowed nine total earned runs for a 1.46 ERA…In a total of 55 1/3 innings they have 57 strikeouts…Juan Yepez, who started the day leading the MWL in batting average, hits, slugging percentage, doubles and total bases, got his first day off of the season…Machado had a career-high five RBI…All nine Chiefs starters had at least one hit…Rodriguez had his first career multi-homer game and the first for any Chiefs player this season…The Chiefs tied a season-high with three homers and set a new season high with seven extra-base hits…Denton has a six-game hit streak…Guillory threw a career-high eight innings which is also the most for any Chiefs pitcher this season…The Plummer home run was the first on the road for the Chiefs this season…Three of his four home runs last year came on the road…Guillory tied Jake Walsh for the team lead in strikeouts with 26 which is also in the Midwest League in strikeouts, first among Western Division pitchers…The 26 strikeouts in April are tied for the most in the opening month since Sean Gallagher struck out 27 in 2005…The Chiefs record appears to be 36 by Dan Haren 2002 while Greg Maddux struck out 31 in 1985 and Ty Johnson had 28 in 2002…The Chiefs now head to Appleton, WI for a three-game series against the Timber Rattlers…Game one starts at 6:35 p.m. Friday with Chiefs RH Alvaro Seijas (0-1, 2.87) against Rattlers RH Bowden Francis (0-0, 2.57)…The Chiefs are 6-0 against Wisconsin this season…The broadcast can be heard, starting with the Pre-Game Show at 6:20 p.m. on www.peoriachiefs.com/listenlive and is also available on the Peoria Chiefs Network in the Tune-In Radio App.