Chiefs take down Bees

Posted on June 18, 2016

DozerParkScoreboard630By WJBC Staff

PEORIA- Thomas Spitz singled in the bottom of the 11th to give the Peoria Chiefs a 4-3 walk-off win over the Burlington Bees on Friday night.

The win moves the Chiefs to 38-30 and lowered their magic number for a playoff spot to one as Cedar Rapids beat Quad Cities 2-1 in 14 innings. The Chiefs will clinch a playoff spot Saturday with a win over Burlington or a Cedar Rapids loss.

Burlington scored in the top of first inning for the second game in a row, this time against Chiefs all-star Jake Woodford. With one out Jordan Serena doubled, Brandon Sanger singled, and Jared Walsh singled for a 1-0 Bees lead.

The Chiefs took the lead against Burlington starter Jose Rodriguez in the second inning. Brian O’Keefe singled and Chris Chinea reached on a bad-hop single that hit Sanger in the face at second base. RJ Dennard singled to left to plate O’Keefe to tie the game as Chinea took third. Vaughn Bryan reached on a fielders’ choice that scored Chinea and the Chiefs took a 2-1 lead.

The Chiefs increased their advantage over the Bees in the bottom of the fifth. With two outs Magneuris Sierra crushed his first home run of the season with a solo shot to right for a 3-1 Chiefs lead.

The Bees pushed across a run against Woodford in the top of the sixth. Walsh led off with a double, moved to third on a single and scored on a single by Alexis Rivera to cut the Chiefs lead to 3-2.
Burlington tied the game against Chiefs reliever Jorge Rodriguez in the top of the eighth. Walsh reached on an error by Rodriguez and scored on a double by Michael Hermosillo to tie the game 3-3

In the bottom of the 11th Eli Alvarez doubled off the wall in centerfield against Bees reliever Eric Karch. Alvarez moved to third on a groundout and scored when Thomas Spitz singled through a drawn-in infield for the 4-3 win.
Woodford got a no-decision allowing two runs on six hits while striking out four and waking none in six innings of work. Rodriguez gave up one unearned run on one hit as he struck out two over two innings. Steven De La Cruz pitched two innings and gave up two hits, struck out one and walked one. Tyler Bray (2-2) got the win striking out one in one shutout inning.

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