The Peoria Chiefs are 4-0 to start the second half for the first time in 21 years and they earned a four-game sweep in Burlington for the first time in 11 years with an 8-2 Sunday victory over the Bees.
The Peoria Chiefs are 4-0 to start the second half for the first time in 21 years and they earned a four-game sweep in Burlington for the first time in 11 years with an 8-2 Sunday victory over the Bees.
The Peoria Chiefs are 4-0 to start the second half for the first time in 21 years and they earned a four-game sweep in Burlington for the first time in 11 years with an 8-2 Sunday victory over the Bees. The win puts the first-place Chiefs at 34-39 overall as they return home for a four-game series against Beloit
For the second game in a row the Chiefs scored in the top of the first inning at Community Field. With one down Stefan Trosclair tripled off the high right-field wall against All-Star hurler Erik Manoah Jr.. Trosclair was tagged out between third and home on a grounder to third base but stayed in the run-down long enough for Vince Jackson to advance to second. Ryan McCarvel's 10th double of the season rolled to the warning track in right field to score Jackson for a 1-0 Chiefs lead. Juan Yepez drove a double of his own over the head of centerfielder Jahmai Jones to score McCarvel for a 2-0 Chiefs lead.
In the second the Chiefs kept the offense going against Manoah. Dylan Carlson walked and moved to second on an errant pickoff throw by Manoah before Nick Plummer walked. Jose Martinez collected the Chiefs fourth extra-base hit in nine batters as he doubled home Carlson for a 3-0 Chiefs lead. Plummer was thrown out at the plate on a pitch in the dirt and Manoah struck out the next two batters to escape the inning.
The Bees got on the board against Ian Oxnevad in the bottom of the second. With one out Roberto Baldoquin doubled down the right-field line and he moved to third on a deep flyout to right by John Shuknecht. Jeyson Sanchez barely beat out an infield single to shortstop as Baldoquin scored to the Chiefs lead to 3-1.
The Chiefs doubled their run output despite getting just one hit in the third inning. With one down, McCarvel and Yepez drew consecutive walks from Manoah. Danny Hudzina gave the Chiefs a 4-1 lead with a single to left before Yepez stole third. Carlson walked to load the bases and Plummer walked to force home Yepez for a 5-1 Chiefs lead. Martinez beat out a potential double play ball to score Hudzina and give the Chiefs a 6-1 lead before Manoah got out of the inning.
The Chiefs added on against reliever Greg Belton in the sixth. Martinez led off with a single and was out at second on a fielders' choice off the bat of Shane Billings. Billings stole second and scored on a single to right by Trosclair for a 7-1 Chiefs lead. Trosclair took second on the throw home and with two outs he scored on the second double of the game from McCarvel as the Chiefs took an 8-1 lead.
The Bees knocked Oxnevad from the game in the bottom of the inning. Jordan Zimmerman singled up the middle and moved to second on a balk. As Keith Grieshaber fouled off eight pitches in a 13-pitch walk, Zimmerman moved to third and scored on wild pitches. Frederis Parra took over for Oxnevad with the Chiefs up 8-2 and his wild pitch moved Grieshaber to second. Parra got a strikeout and two straight groundouts to end the threat with a runner stranded at second.
Oxnevad (2-7) earned the win as he allowed two runs on five hits over five innings. He faced two batters in the sixth inning and finished with one walk, one hit batter and one strikeout. Parra allowed three hits over three shutout innings and struck out two. Max Almonte retired all three batters he faced in the ninth inning.
Notes…The Chiefs are 4-0 to start the second half for the first time since 1996…The last time the Chiefs won six in a row was July 10-16, 2015…Billings went 0-for-5 to end his hit streak at 15 games, tied with recently promoted Andrew Knizner for the Chiefs longest of the season and longest since 2012…Billings leads the Chiefs with 13 stolen bases…Trosclair has two straight multi-hit games and 18 on the season which is tied with recently promoted Andy Young for the most on the team…The Chiefs drew a season-high 10 walks, two days after walking nine times and they earned 27 walks in the four-game series…Carlson drew a season-high three walks, tying Brian O'Keefe for the single-game high…Carlson leads the Chiefs with 32 walks…The Chiefs have four doubles in two straight games…McCarvel leads active Chiefs with nine multi-RBI games and he tied his season high from June 12 with two doubles…Oxnevad leads the Chiefs with 10 pickoffs this season and no other Peoria hurler has more than one… The Chiefs hit another batter and are tied with the South Atlantic League's Greensboro Grasshoppers for the lead in all of Minor League Baseball with 62…With four games left in the season series in Peoria August 10-13, the Chiefs have clinched the season series 10-5 and have won the season series against the Bees five years in a row…The Chiefs went 7-3 at Community Field this season…The Chiefs last four-game sweep on the road came July 10-13, 2015 in Clinton…The Chiefs last four-game sweep in Burlington was June 6-9, 2006 though they swept the Bees at home in a four-game series last June 16-19…The Chiefs return home for the first homestand of the second half Monday - Thursday against the Beloit Snappers (Oakland A's)…The series starts Monday at 7:00 p.m. as the Chiefs start All-Star RHP Jordan Hicks (7-2, 3.88) against Snappers RHP Brandon Bailey (1-1, 2.72)…The broadcast can be heard, starting with the Pre-Game Show at 6:45 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 Network in the Tune-In Radio App.
