The Peoria Chiefs used three home runs to build an early 4-1 lead against the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers on Thursday night at Dozer Park. Wisconsin chipped away with two late runs, but Peoria’s bullpen held on to the lead and finished the 4-3 victory over the Rattlers.
Peoria (23-40) hit a pair of home runs to take a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning. Tyler Reichenborn hit a solo home run with one out. Matt Chamberlain cracked a two-run home run with two outs.
Wisconsin scored their first run with their first hit of the game. Peoria starter Logan Gragg retired the first ten batters he faced before walking Hayden Cantrelle with one out in the top of the fourth. Thomas Dillard stepped to the plate with Cantrelle still at first and two outs. Dillard, ripped a double to the corner in right on an 0-2 pitch to score Cantrelle.
Chandler Redmond hit a lead-off home run in the bottom of the fourth inning and the Chiefs were back up by three runs. The Chiefs have hit 29 homers in 21 games against the Timber Rattlers this season. They have hit 35 home runs in 42 games against the rest of the High-A Central League.
The run in the fourth inning was the only one given up by Gragg on the night. He allowed one run on three hits with a walk and five strikeouts over six innings before turning the game over to his bullpen.
The Rattlers cut into the deficit in the top of the seventh inning, Joe Gray Jr walked to start the inning against reliever Jacob Schlesener. Carlos Rodríguez followed with a single. Yeison Coca drove in Gray with a single to left. Wisconsin stranded the tying runs in the inning as the next two batters were retired.
In the top of the eighth, Korry Howell doubled with two outs and Dillard drew a walk, but the Chiefs called in Freddy Pacheco from the bullpen to get the final out of the inning.
In the ninth, Rodríguez was the lead-off hitter and he hit a double to right. LG Castillo was next and he singled to right to score Rodríguez. However, Pacheco struck out the next two batters and got the final out on a flyout to center to close out the game and Peoria’s eight-game losing streak.
The loss denied the Timber Rattlers an opportunity to get back to the .500 mark. Wisconsin was 18-18 on June 13 after a win at South Bend, but have not been back to the break-even point since a loss at Quad Cities on June 15.
Game four of the series is scheduled for Friday night at Dozer Park. The Timber Rattlers have named Justin Bullock (4-2, 3.06) as their starting pitcher. The Chiefs will counter with Nick Trogrlic-Iverson (3-3, 5.19) as their scheduled starting pitcher. Game time is 6:35pm.
