By WJBC Staff
APPLETON, Wis. – The Peoria Chiefs tied the game in the top of the seventh inning but allowed nine runs in the bottom of the frame in a 16-6 loss to the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers Sunday afternoon. The loss drops the Chiefs to 9-9 in the second half and 49-39 overall with one game left in the series.
The Rattlers got their offense going early against Chiefs starter Brennan Leitao. Mitch Ghelfi singled with one out and with two down Jake Gatewood launched his 10th homer of the season for a 2-0 Wisconsin lead.
The Chiefs came back in the top of the second against Miguel Diaz. RJ Dennard walked and Bladimil Franco singled to center. Both runners advanced on an errant pickoff throw and Carlos Torres tied the game with a two-run doubles to left.
Wisconsin responded immediately as Luis Aviles crushed a leadoff solo home run for a 3-2 lead. They added on in the fifth inning when Sthevin Matos hit his first home run since July 24, 2015 for a 4-2 Rattlers lead. The home run by Matos last season also came against the Chiefs, off Austin Gomber.
The Chiefs scored on an error in the sixth inning as Eli Alvarez came home with the bases loaded when reliever David Lucroy dropped the return throw from his catcher. Wisconsin extended their lead in the bottom of the inning as David Denson doubled with one out and Gerwuins Velazco replaced Leitao on the mound. Aviles doubled home Denson for a 5-3 lead and he scored on a single by Alan Sharkey to put the Rattlers up three.
Peoria tied the game for the second time in the seventh inning. Leo Pina singled with two outs and Alvarez followed with a single to right. Chris Chinea’s base hit cut the Wisconsin lead to 6-4 and Alex Farina took over for Lucroy on the mound. Dennard drove a double off the right-field wall to tie the game 6-6 and he moved to third on a throwing error to the plate. But Farina struck out Bladimil Franco to keep the game tied.
The bottom of the seventh was the worst inning of the season for the Chiefs as Wisconsin sent 11 batters to the plate. Ghelfi started with a bad-hop double over Dennard’s head at first base and moved to third on a grounder. Gatewood singled for a 7-6 Rattlers lead and Denson launched an opposite field home run for a 9-6 lead. Aviles walked and with two outs Sharkey was hit by a pitch before Matos singled home a run. Troy Stokes singled for an 11-6 lead and Steven Gallardo took over for Velazco. Ghelfi’s second double of the inning gave Wisconsin a 13-6 lead and Isan Diaz tripled for a 14-6 lead. Diaz scored the ninth and final run of the inning on a wild pitch as the Rattlers went on top 15-6. They scored the final run of the game in the eighth when Denson hit his second homer of the game off Luke Harrison for a 16-6 final.
Leitao allowed five runs on seven hits over 5 1/3 innings in a no-decision as he struck out six. Velazco (0-1) took the loss allowing eight runs on seven hits, one walk and one hit batter in 1 1/3 inning. Gallardo allowed two runs on two hits in 1/3 of an inning. Harrison allowed one run on one hit in one inning.
