Mautz Mows Down Kernels Wednesday

PEORIA, IL – With the Midwest League’s playoff push heating up, Chiefs left-hander Brycen Mautz picked a good time to turn in arguably the best start of his 2024 season.

Mautz twirled six scoreless frames and whiffed seven batters Wednesday to lead the Chiefs to a 4-1 win over the Cedar Rapids Kernels.

The Kernels had the Peoria southpaw on the ropes in the top of the second, loading the bases with one out. Mautz responded by striking out Jose Salas and retiring MLB Pipeline’s No. 5 overall prospect Walker Jenkins to end the inning.

From there, Mautz was not challenged the rest of the way. The former second-round pick allowed just three hits on Wednesday and retired 10 of 11 batters at one point. Mautz earned his second win of the year and his second quality start of the year. For the Peoria staff, it was the 31st quality start this season.

The Peoria offense did most of their work early, plating a run in each of the first two innings. In the bottom of the first, Chase Davis advanced to third via a walk, a balk and a wild pitch, and was driven in on a Johnfrank Salazar single to give the Chiefs a 1-0 lead. In the home half of the second, Michael Curialle scored from second on a Tre Richardson fielder’s choice. On a return throw to first base, Curialle never stopped at third base and beat Poncho Ruiz’s throw to the plate to double the lead to 2-0.

After Mautz’s departure, Dionys Rodriguez worked a 1-2-3 seventh inning, but he ran into trouble in the eighth. With runners on the corners and one out, Rodriguez departed in favor of Chiefs closer Osvaldo Berrios. Cedar Rapids plated a run on a Kevin Maitan sac fly, but Peoria exited the inning with a 2-1 lead in tow.

Despite struggling for much of the night with runners in scoring position, the Chiefs came up with a timely hit in the bottom of the eighth. With runners at second and third, Curialle delivered a line drive single into left to score Won-Bin Cho and debuting catcher Chase Adkison, boosting the lead to 4-1.

Berrios stranded a pair of Kernels baserunners in the ninth to confirm the save, his seventh of the year.

The Chiefs have won four straight games and remain one game up on Quad Cities for the final postseason spot in the Midwest League West Division.

Peoria will look to make it five in a row on Thursday when Inohan Paniagua starts for the Chiefs. First pitch is set for 6:35 p.m from Dozer Park.