Chiefs Ride Early Ambush to Victory Tuesday

APPLETON, WI – The Peoria Chiefs scored five runs over the first two innings on Tuesday to notch a 6-2 win over the first-half champion Wisconsin Timber Rattlers.

In the game’s first inning, Chase Davis and Leonardo Bernal collected back-to-back singles with one out. Then, Tre Richardson ripped a solid single into left. Wisconsin left fielder Hedbert Perez fumbled the pick up and allowed Davis to score after initially stopping at third. Later in the frame, Bernal scored on a wild pitch to stake the Peoria lead to 2-0.

After Wisconsin scratched a run on an RBI groundout in the bottom of the first, the Chiefs were back at it in the top of the second. Miguel Villarroel, who entered action on Tuesday as the Midwest League’s leader in August batting average, singled home Michael Curialle to extend the lead to 3-1. Later, Davis and Bernal teamed up to record back-to-back doubles, growing the Peoria lead to 5-1. All five runs were charged to Wisconsin starter Ryan Birchard, who took the loss in his High-A debut. Peoria plated an add-on run in the fourth on a 6-4-3 double play to make it 6-1.

The early run support was more than enough for Chiefs starter Darlin Saladin. After a hiccup in the first inning, the right-hander was on cruise control. Saladin twice retired eight in a row, and sat down 16 of 17 Wisconsin batters at one point in the contest. After recording two outs in the sixth, three consecutive Timber Rattlers reached to force Saladin’s exit, one out shy of a quality start. Roy Garcia whiffed Eduardo Garcia with the bases loaded to end the threat.

Garcia, doing his best Saladin impression, retired the first five batters he faced on Tuesday. After a one-out walk in the eighth, Blake Burke hit into a double play to end the inning.

Wisconsin scratched a run in the ninth but would get no closer. Garcia, who worked 3 ⅓ innings in relief, earned his first save of the season.

For Saladin, the win was his fifth with the Chiefs and his ninth on the year between Palm Beach and Peoria.

With their Tuesday triumph, Peoria moved to within 3 ½ games of Wisconsin in the second-half standings. The Chiefs remain tied with Quad Cities for the MWL West Division’s second-half playoff berth.

The Chiefs will have a quick turnaround on Wednesday. Game two of the series is scheduled for 12:10 p.m.