By WJBC Staff
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa – The Peoria Chiefs can clinch their first playoff berth in six years on Thursday after beating the Cedar Rapids Kernels 7-5 Wednesday night to win the series.
The win, coupled with a Beloit loss to Kane County, lowers the Chiefs magic number to one with 12 games remaining. The Chiefs will clinch their first playoff spot since 2009 with a win Thursday in Quad Cities or of Beloit loses one of their doubleheader games in Wisconsin.
Cedar Rapids took a 2-0 lead over the first three innings against Chiefs starter Ian McKinney. Rafael Valera doubled with one out in the first and scored on a double by T.J. White. In the third inning Austin Diemer was hit by a pitch and moved to second on a walk to Sean Miller. An infield single loaded the bases with one out and White made it 2-0 with a sacrifice fly.
The Chiefs took the lead in the fourth inning against Kernels starter Sam Clay. Oscar Mercado doubled and moved to third on a groundout before scoring on a wild pitch. Alex DeLeon singled and scored on a triple by Harrison Bader to tie the game. Nick Thompson’s 54th RBI of the season came on a single up the middle to score Bader for the 3-2 lead.
Cedar Rapids came right back in the bottom of the fourth to regain the lead with a two-out rally started by a walk to Brian Navaretto. Diemer doubled to tie the game and Miller’s single put the Kernels on top 4-3.
Peoria scored again in the fifth and never looked back. Darren Seferina singled to center with one out and Mercado reached on an error to put two on base. Paul DeJong beat out an infield single to load the bases and DeLeon tied the game with a sacrifice fly to center. Bader’s second triple of the game put the Chiefs on top 6-4. Peoria added a run in the sixth as Brian O’Keefe clubbed his fourth home run of the season to left field.
McKinney (3-0) earned the win allowing four runs on seven hits over six innings while striking out five. Tyler Bray got a hold while striking out five and allowing one hit over two shutout innings. Jery Then picked up his first Chiefs save despite allowing a run on two hits in the ninth inning.
