Wisconsin Wins Series Opener at Peoria
PEORIA, IL – The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers used the long ball and some clutch relief pitching to defeat the Peoria Chiefs 4-1 on Tuesday night at Dozer Park in the first game of a six-game series.
PEORIA, IL – The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers used the long ball and some clutch relief pitching to defeat the Peoria Chiefs 4-1 on Tuesday night at Dozer Park in the first game of a six-game series.
Click here for the boxscore of this game
Peoria (51-70 overall, 23-32 second half) had early opportunities against Wisconsin starting pitcher Stiven Cruz. The Chiefs put two runners on with two outs in the first and loaded the bases with two outs in the second. Cruz, who was named the Midwest League Pitcher of the Week on Monday for his start last week at home against Lansing, escaped both innings with strikeouts to keep Peoria off the scoreboard.
Arbert Cipion put the Timber Rattlers (62-58, 26-29) up with a lead-off homer in the third inning. Cipion hit the first pitch he saw from Peoria starter Austin Love to a fan on the berm beyond the wall in left for the 1-0 lead.
Jackson Chourio stepped to the plate in the fifth inning with two on and one out and hit a ball down the line in right that hit the foul pole for a three-run home run. Chourio has hit a three-run homer in both games since returning to the Wisconsin lineup on Sunday afternoon. The Brewers #1 prospect has hit six homers in 22 games with the Rattlers and eighteen homers between the Carolina Mudcats and Wisconsin this season.
Even foul poles aren't safe when Jackson Chourio steps to the dish😤
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) August 31, 2022
The @Brewers' top-ranked prospect smacks a three-run homer to the opposite field for the @TimberRattlers: pic.twitter.com/4J2Vf4M91n
Cruz left with a high pitch count – 79 pitches – after four scoreless innings and six strikeouts. Brannon Jordan pitched a scoreless bottom of the fifth as the first Wisconsin reliever but ran into trouble in the bottom of the sixth.
Jordan gave up an infield single to Osvaldo Tovalin, a single to Aaron McKeithan, and a bunt single to Mack Chambers to load the bases. Tyler Reichenborn followed with a single to drive in Tovalin and that was all for Jordan.
Taylor Floyd took over for Jordan and struck out the first two batters he faced. Jacob Buchberger ran the count full before Floyd struck him out to end the inning, strand all three runners, and keep the Rattlers up 4-1.
Floyd worked a scoreless seventh and a scoreless eighth while racking up six strikeouts. He would be credited with the win, his third of the season with the Timber Rattlers.
James Meeker gave up a lead-off single in the bottom of the ninth but retired the next three batters for his thirteenth save of the season. The final out of the game was recorded on a diving catch in by centerfielder Joe Gray Jr.
Peoria stranded twelve runners in the game and went 2-for-12 with runners in scoring position.
Game two of the series is Wednesday night at Dozer Park. Dionys Rodríguez (3-11, 4.35) is set to start for the Chiefs. Game time is 6:35pm. The radio broadcast is on AM1280, WNAM and internet audio starting at 6:15pm. The game is also available on MiLB.tv for subscribers.