By WJBC Staff
CEDAR RAPDS, Iowa – The Peoria Chiefs handed the first-place Cedar Rapids Kernels their first home series loss of 2016 with a 9-4 thumping on Sunday afternoon. The win moves the Chiefs to 30-26 on the half, just one game behind the Kernels in the Western Division standings with 14 games to play in the first half.
The Chiefs jumped on Kernels starter Eddie Del Rosario, who was making his 2016 debut off the disabled list, in the second inning. Chris Chinea led off with a single and with one-out Jose Godoy singled. A wild pitch put two runners in scoring position and R.J. Dennard gave the Chiefs a 1-0 lead with a single to right. Leo Pina walked to load the bases and Craig Aikin delivered a two-run double to right for a 3-0 lead. Pina scored on a groundout by Magneuris Sierra as the Chiefs took a 4-0 lead into the bottom of the second.
Cedar Rapids answered against Jake Woodford in the bottom of the inning. Nelson Molina doubled with one out and scored on a two-out single by Brad Hartong. An error by Thomas Spitz in right moved Hartong to second on the play but Woodford retired Kevin Garcia to preserve the 4-1 lead.
Peoria answered that run in the top of the third, Eli Alvarez reached on an infield single to start the inning, stole second and moved to third on a throwing error by Garcia. Chinea singled home Alvarez for a 5-1 lead before a fielders’ choice and caught stealing got Del Rosario out of the inning.
The Kernels again came back with one run in the bottom of the inning. Alex Perez singled with one out and moved to second on a wild pitch. Sean Miller’s single scored Perez and cut the Chiefs lead to 5-2. Lemonte Wade walked to put two on base but Woodford struck out Zander Wiel and Molina popped up to third to end the inning.
The score stayed 5-2 until the seventh inning when the Chiefs added on against reliever Anthony McIver. Sierra reach on a one-out infield single and Edmundo Sosa singled to right. Both runners advanced on an error on the Sosa single and Alvarez singled home Sierra for a 6-2 lead. Cedar Rapids changed pitchers and Chinea greeted Michael Cederoth with a two-run single to right-center as Alvarez, running with the pitch, scored all the way from first. Cederoth stranded Chinea at third on consecutive groundouts but the Chiefs led 8-2.
Peoria pushed the lead to 9-2 in the eighth inning. Dennard drew a leadoff walk and moved to second on a single by Pina. Both runners moved up on a groundout and Sierra singled home Dennard for the Chiefs final run of the game. Cedar Rapids plated two runs against Tyler Bray in the bottom of the inning to establish the final score of 9-4.
Woodford (4-3) earned his fourth straight win as he struck out six, allowed two runs on five hits and two walks over six innings. Bray allowed two runs on five hits over two innings as he struck out one. Stephen De La Cruz threw a perfect ninth inning in his team-leading 20th appearance.
The Chiefs are next in action with a doubleheader on Tuesday at Burlington.
