The Peoria Chiefs got an eighth-inning three-run homer from catcher Julio Rodriguez to beat the Kane County Cougars 4-3 on Thursday night.
The Peoria Chiefs got an eighth-inning three-run homer from catcher Julio Rodriguez to beat the Kane County Cougars 4-3 on Thursday night.
Trailing 2-0 the Chiefs got on the board against Kane County starter Lane Ratliff in the fourth inning. First baseman Terrance Connelly robbed Nolan Gorman of extra bases with a leaping catch of a screaming line drive. Luken Baker followed with a two-out double and scored on a double to right-center by Zach Kirtley.
Down 3-1 the Chiefs flipped the script in the top of the eighth. With two outs and nobody on, Baker worked a walk and Kirtley walked on the 10th pitch of a plate appearance against Tyler Keele. Luis Castillo came in out of the KC bullpen and Rodriguez greeted him with a three-run home run to the scoreboard to put the Chiefs on top 4-3.
Jake Dahlberg (4-1) earned the win as he allowed three runs on eight hits over seven innings. He struck out three, walked two and induced two double plays. Ben Yokley retired all three batters he faced in the eighth inning with one strikeout. Kodi Whitley racked up his ninth save of the season with one shutout inning in which he allowed one hit and struck out one.
Notes: Rodriguez hit his first home run since June 8, a span of 149 at-bats…He has two straight multi-hit and multi-RBI games with three extra-base hits and seven RBI in the series…The Chiefs have 10 home runs in the 8th inning or later, 23 go-ahead home runs and 16 game-winning homers…Kirtley has six of his 14 doubles this season at Kane County…The Chiefs are fourth in the MWL with 230 doubles…The opponents scored first in eight of the nine games on the road trip…The Chiefs pitching staff passed the 2010 team with 1079 strikeouts on the seasons, sixth most in team history, when Dahlberg struck out Cintron to end the fifth…They are on pace to finish with the second most in team history and just shy of the 1177 team record set in 2016…Brandon Benson has six outfield assists in just 24 games…The tally is the third most by a Chiefs outfielder on the season (Hurst/Denton 7 each)…Plummer is 8th in the MWL this season with 62 walks and he has 115 career free passes in a Chiefs uniform…Dahlberg has gone at least five innings in all 13 starts this season between State College and Peoria…Brandon Riley left the game with a hip flexor in the fifth as Wood Myers moved to left field, Plummer to center and Nick Dunn entered the game at second base…The Chiefs have not been swept in a series of more than two games since April 9-12…The Chiefs are 9-46 when trailing after seven innings and have 30 overall comeback wins…The Chiefs are 26-16 in one-run games and 65-15 when allowing four runs or less…the Chiefs have seven homers against Kane County in 15 games this season, the only West Division teams they have less against are Quad Cities and Beloit (6 each)...The Chiefs are back home Friday for a regular-season ending, nine-game homestand that begins with a 5:00 p.m. doubleheader against Beloit…The first game was suspended in Wisconsin July 1 with the Chiefs leading 5-0 in the 2nd inning…Friday is Fright Night with appearances by Spider Hill…There will be post-game Fireworks…RH Johan Oviedo (9-9, 4.53) will be on the mound for the Chiefs when the game resumes against RH Jhenderson Hurtado (0-2, 4.50) for Beloit...Game 2 features Chiefs RH Alvaro Seijas (5-7, 4.28) against Beloit RH Mitchell Jordan. (6-3, 2.48).. Tickets are available online at www.peoriachiefs.com or at the Dozer Park Box Office…The broadcast, with Voice of the Chiefs Nathan Baliva and broadcast assistant Danny Frey, can be heard starting with the pregame show at 4:55 p.m. on www.peoriachiefs.com/listenlive and is also available on the Peoria Chiefs Network in the Tune-In Radio App…Video of the game is available to subscribers on MiLB.TV…Chiefs Playoff tickets are also on sale with Dugout and Field Box Seats available for $9 as the Chiefs host Quad Cities in Game One Wednesday, September 5…The Chiefs announced their entire 2019 schedule last Friday and the entire schedule is available at www.peoriachiefs.com.
