By WJBC Staff
DAVENPORT, Iowa – The Peoria Chiefs broke a 2-2 tie with six runs in the top of the ninth inning to beat the Quad Cities River Bandits on the road 8-2 Wednesday night. The win stops a five-game losing streak and moves the Chiefs to 15-16 in the second half and 55-46 overall.
Neither team scored in the first three innings as Peoria’s Jake Woodford and Quad Cities hurler Yoanis Quiala racked up strikeouts. Quad Cities grabbed the lead in the fourth when Kyle Tucker launched a solo home run of his former high school teammate for a 1-0 lead. The homer was the first at home for Tucker this season, his second against the Chiefs and his third overall.
The top of the fifth inning was eventful and entertaining. Jose Godoy led off with a long fly ball down the right-field line that was ruled a home run by base umpire Isaias Barba. Godoy circled the bases to tie the game but QC manager Omar Lopez came out of the third base dugout to argue with Barba. Video replays are not allowed in the Midwest League and Barba conferred with the home plate umpire Tom Hanahan before ruling the ball foul, robbing Godoy of his first home run since 2014. Chiefs manager Joe Kruzel then took up the argument with Barba and was eventually tossed for the third time this season.
After the ejection, Godoy calmly stepped singled to right-center. Leo Pina launched a 406-foot home run to center field for a 2-1 lead, his second home run of the season and in July. Woodford made the lead stand up until the seventh when Randy Cesar delivered a solo home run into the left-field berm to tie the game 2-2.
The game was still tied in the ninth when Adam Whitt took over for the River Bandits. He hit Jose Martinez in the foot to start the inning and a wild pitch put Martinez in scoring position. Dylan Tice gave the Chiefs a 3-2 lead with a single to center and he moved to second on a throwing error. Tice went to third on another wild pitch as Brian O’Keefe walked. Godoy singled home Tice for a 4-2 Chiefs lead and Pina walked to load the bases. Ralph Garza took over for Whitt and RJ Dennard tripled past a diving center fielder for a 7-2 Chiefs lead. With two outs, Magneuris Sierra singled home Dennard for the final run of the game and an 8-2 lead.
Woodford struck out a career-high nine as he allowed two runs on five hits and no walks over seven innings. Josh Wirsu (1-0) loaded the bases in the ninth but earned the win as he allowed two hits over two shutout innings with one walk and one strikeout.
