By Nathan Balivia
Davenport, IA – The Peoria Chiefs took an early Sunday lead but allowed two homers and four unanswered runs in a 7-3 loss to the last-place Quad Cities River Bandits. The loss drops the Chiefs to 25-24 on the season heading into the final game of the series Monday afternoon.
The Chiefs jumped out to an early lead in the second inning against River Bandits starter Kevin McCanna. Brian O’Keefe, who homered Saturday, led off with a double off the wall in left-center. With one out Chris Chinea launched his first home run of the season over the left field berm and into the ferris wheel for a 2-0 Chiefs lead.
Quad Cities battled back against Sandy Alcantara in the third inning. Connor Goedert doubled to center and with one out he scored on a double by Keach Ballard. The Bandits took a 3-2 lead on Chrisitan Correa’s first home run of the season before Alcantara got out of the inning.
In the top of the fourth the Chiefs got even. Vaughn Bryan led off with a double and he moved to third on an infield single by Leo Pina. A wild pitch scored Bryan to tie the game and Pina took second before Dylan Becker walked. But Magneuris Sierra flew out and Thomas Spitz hit into a double play to end the inning.
Quad Cities got an assist to take the lead in the bottom of the inning. With one out, Osvaldo Duarte doubled and Kyle Tucker hit a grounder to short. Pina threw to third and appeared to have easily retired Duarte for the second out but the River Bandits centerfielder was called safe. Two batters later, instead of the inning being over, Anthony Hermelyn singled for a 4-3 lead. Quad Cities put the game away with an Aaron Mizell homer and a two-run double from Tucker in the sixth off Luke Harrison for a 7-3 win.
Alcantara (4-3) took the loss as he allowed four runs on six hits over five innings. He walked two, struck out four and allowed a home run. Harrison allowed three runs on two hits and three walks over three innings while striking out one.
Notes: Spitz extended his hit streak to 13 games with a single in the top of the second…Spitz has reached base safely in 23 straight games…The Chiefs have home runs in consecutive games for the first time since April 10-11 and the first time in the same series all season…Three of the Chiefs MWL-low seven home runs have come in the six games against Quad Cities…Alcantara is 0-3 in day games with a 7.16 ERA…Both home runs hit against Alcantara have been in road day games…The Chiefs are 4-11 in day games and 1-14 when allowing five runs or more…O’Keefe’s last four hits have gone for extra bases in the series, three doubles and a home run…Of the Chiefs seven hits on Sunday four were doubles and only two were singles…The series concludes Monday at 5:15 p.m. as the Chiefs send RH Jake Woodford (3-3, 2.22) to the mound against QC RH Franklin Perez (0-1, 3.86)…The broadcast can be heard, starting with the Pre-Game Show at 1:00 p.m. on www.peoriachiefs.com/listenlive which also has downloads for a free app on the iPhone, iPad, Blackberry and Android…The broadcast is also available on the Peoria Chiefs Network in the Tune-In Radio App.
