Chiefs Use Late Slam to Pull Away from Wisconsin

PEORIA, IL - The Peoria Chiefs got an eight-inning grand slam home run to blow open a close game with the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers at Dozer Park on Saturday night. Peoria defeated the Timber Rattlers 7-1 to send Wisconsin to their eight straight loss.
The Timber Rattlers (3-12) took the lead with a run in the first inning. Gabriel Garcia reached on an error with one out. Joantgel Segovia singled to move Garcia to second. Pat McInerney put Wisconsin in front with a sharp single to right-center to send Garcia home.

Peoria (7-6) rallied to take the lead in the bottom of the third on back-to-back RBI singles with two outs. The Chiefs had Edwin Figuera at second with two outs when Wisconsin starter Christian Taugner walked Taylor Bryant on a 3-2 pitch to extend the inning. Yariel Gonzalez was next and he singled to drive in Figuera with the tying run. Elehuris Montero followed with a line drive that deflected off the glove of a leaping McInerney at first base and Bryant scored from second to put the Chiefs up 2-1.

Montero, who had three hits in the game, added to the Peoria lead with a lead-off home run in the bottom of the sixth inning.

Wisconsin's offense did not have a hit after Zach Clark's lead-off single in the top of the fifth inning. Clark was erased on a double play moments later in the inning. Nick Roscetti reached on an error with two outs. Then, the final thirteen Wisconsin hitters were retired in order to finish the game.

But, the Chiefs weren't done scoring runs. Montero singled with one out in the bottom of the eighth against reliever Rodrigo Benoit. Jesus Yepez followed with a double to send Montero to third base. Wisconsin elected to intentionally walk Dylan Carlson to load the bases for Bryce Denton and set up a possible inning-ending double play.

Denton foiled the strategy by lining the first pitch he saw from Benoit to the berm beyond the fence in left field for a grand slam to put the game out of reach.

The Chiefs have hit nine home runs as a team this season. Eight of those home runs have come in five games against the Timber Rattlers. Two of those home runs versus Wisconsin have been with the bases loaded.

Rattlers hitters struck out twelve times on Saturday. They have struck out 27 times in the first two games of the series with the Chiefs.
The final game of this extended road trip is Sunday evening at Dozer Park. Carlos Herrera (0-2, 4.00) is the scheduled starting pitcher for Wisconsin. Peoria has named Alvaro Seijas (0-1, 3.60) as their starter. Game time is 5:00pm. The radio broadcast is on AM1280, WNAM starting with the Potawatomi Hotel & Casino Pregame Show at 4:40pm. The broadcast is also available on the Tune In and IHeart Radio apps. Subscribers to MiLB.tv can watch the game via the Chiefs feed over the internet.
The Timber Rattlers will return to Neuroscience Group Field at Fox Cities Stadium to start a seven-game homestand on Monday night with a game against the Clinton LumberKings. Game time on Monday is 6:35pm.
Wisconsin's first home game since April 8 is a Bonus Bang for Your Buck Night with $1 Pepsi products, $1 hotdogs from Cher-make, and $1 12-ounce domestic beers. Monday is also a Qdoba Q*Monday with NASH FM 99.5 & 104.9. Purchase an entrée at any Qdoba location in Appleton, Neenah, or Oshkosh for lunch on Monday and receive a ticket to any Monday home game during the 2018 season.