Mautz Whiffs a Dozen, Chiefs Edge TinCaps

PEORIA, IL – Brycen Mautz punched out a career-high 12 batters on Tuesday, pitching the Chiefs past the Fort Wayne TinCaps 2-1 at Dozer Park.

Mautz wasted no time getting started, whiffing each of the first two batters he faced on Tuesday. Then, after recording a 1-2-3 second inning, Mautz struck out five consecutive TinCaps over the third and fourth innings. Through four, the Peoria southpaw had racked up eight strikeouts to tie a season high.

The Chiefs gave Mautz a modest lead in the home half of the fourth. With Darlin Moquete at second, Tre Richardson singled into center to give Peoria a 1-0 advantage.

Devin Ortiz led off the Fort Wayne fifth with a solid single to disrupt a stretch of 10 in a row retired by Mautz. After Ortiz swiped second, Mautz went lineout, strikeout and pop out to end the inning without Ortiz advancing any further.

Fort Wayne finally broke through in the top of the sixth to tie the ballgame. The ‘Caps quickly cashed a lead-off double from Wyatt Hoffman when Kai Murphy singled him home to even the score at 1-1.

The tie didn’t last long on Tuesday. Moquete launched his sixth home run of the month, and his second in as many games, to give Peoria a 2-1 lead. For Moquete, it was his 11th home run of the year to grab the team lead.

Moquete’s blast earned Mautz an opportunity to go back out for the seventh inning, where he again retired the TinCaps in order. The left-hander punched out Nerwilian Cedeno on a check swing to record his 12th and final strikeout. The 12 strikeouts were the most by a Chiefs pitcher this season and the most in a single game since August 21, 2022, when Wilfredo Pereira rang up a baker’s dozen.

Tanner Jacobson went the rest of the way to lock down the save for Peoria. Jacobson twirled two perfect innings and whiffed four of the six batters he faced.

Fort Wayne starter Eric Yost, who allowed just one run over five innings, did not factor in the decision. Reliever Jose Reyes surrendered the Moquete blast and took the tough luck defeat.

The Chiefs are back over .500 in the second half at 25-24. They remain one game back of Quad Cities for a playoff spot with 17 games to play.

The series continues Wednesday in Peoria.