Bowling Green, KY - The Peoria Chiefs and Bowling Green Bootleggers each blew two leads as the hosts collected a walk-off double in the 11th inning to win 8-7. The loss drops the Chiefs to 16-12 in the second half and 46-52 overall with each of the last two losses coming in
Bowling Green, KY - The Peoria Chiefs and Bowling Green Bootleggers each blew two leads as the hosts collected a walk-off double in the 11th inning to win 8-7. The loss drops the Chiefs to 16-12 in the second half and 46-52 overall with each of the last two losses coming in extra innings on this road trip.
Playing one game only as the Bootleggers, Bowling Green jumped out to a 1-0 lead against Chiefs starter Anthony Shew. With one out in the bottom of the first, Josh Lowe singled, stole second and moved to third on a throwing error by catcher Brian O'Keefe. With two down, Jesus Sanchez doubled to left to put the Bootleggers on top 1-0.
The Chiefs ripped off runs in each of the next three innings to build a lead. In the second O'Keefe hit his 10th homer of the season off knuckleballer Chris Pike to tie the game 1-1. An inning later Dylan Carlson was hit by a pitch and moved to second before he scored on a single by Ryan McCarvel. Leading 2-1, the Chiefs added on in the fourth inning when Nick Plummer crushed a no-doubt homer past the scoreboard in right-field to score Jesus Yepez for a 4-1 lead. The homer was the fourth of the season for Plummer and his second of the road trip.
Shew allowed two runs in the bottom of the fourth as Bowling Green cut the lead to 4-3 and he left with back tightness. Ronnie Williams took over in the fifth and the Bootleggers scored twice to regain the lead 5-4.
The Chiefs didn't trail long as former Western Kentucky star Danny Hudzina singled home McCarvel in his return to Bowling Green. The base hit tied the game 5-5 and Williams blanked Bowling Green over the next two innings.
The game was still tied 5-5 into the ninth before the Chiefs regained the lead against Peter Bayer. Jackson singled and three straight walks put the Chiefs on top with Yepez picking up the go-ahead RBI for a 6-4 lead. Hudzina singled to score McCarvel for a 7-5 lead but O'Keefe was thrown out at the plate to end the inning.
Eric Carter, who came in for the eighth inning, stayed on for the ninth. After a lead-off single, Jonah Heim hit a game-tying two-run homer over the Chiefs bullpen in right, the first run allowed by Carter since June 15. A single and two walks loaded the bases but Max Almonte came in and got a strikeout to send the game to extras.
The Chiefs looked to take the lead again in the 10th as Kramer Robertson walked with one out and stole second with two outs. Jackson singled to left and it appeared Robertson got his hand on the plate before the tag to give the Chiefs the lead but he was called out to end the inning. Bowling Green walked it off an inning later as Miles Mastrobuoni doubled off the wall in right with two on and one out for the 8-7 win.
Shew allowed three runs on eight hits over four innings while walking one and striking out five. Williams allowed two runs on five hits over three innings while walking one and striking out two. Carter allowed two runs on a season-high five hits over 1 2/3 innings while walking two and striking out two. Almonte (2-2) took the loss as he allowed one run on three hits over 1 2/3 innings while walking one and striking out three.
Notes… The Chiefs are 2-8 in team history in Kentucky…The 21 hits allowed were the most in exactly a year as the Chiefs allowed 22 hits in a 15-inning tie on July 22, 2016 at West Michigan…Carter went 15 1/3 innings without allowing a run since June 15 before the ninth inning homer…He last allowed a homer on May 13…O'Keefe has 10 homers this season and 28 in his Chiefs career, seventh on the franchise list…He has now homered against 10 of the 15 teams in the MWL and in eight of the 16 parks…Saturday's homer was his first in an Eastern Division stadium…O'Keefe is tied with Magneuris Sierra for 13th on the franchise list with 195 hits…The Chiefs last three games have been 4:27, 4:08 (1:09 rain delay) and 4:17…Because of a broken down bus the Chiefs did not arrive in Bowling Green until after 5:00 a.m. on Saturday…The Chiefs have hit 92 homers and allowed 80…The Chiefs are 0-3 in extra innings on the road this season…The series continues Sunday at 4:05 p.m. as the Chiefs start LH Ian Oxnevad (3-8, 3.94) against Hot Rods RH Adrian Navas (7-8, 5.96)…The broadcast can be heard, starting with the pregame show at 3:50 p.m. on www.peoriachiefs.com/listenlive which also has downloads for a free app on the iPhone, iPad, Blackberry, and Android… The broadcast is also available on the Peoria Chiefs Radio Network in the Tune-In Radio App.
