DAVENPORT, Iowa (June 9, 2014) - The Peoria Chiefs scored twice each in the first and second innings to build an early 4-0 lead, and they kept the Quad Cities River Bandits from ever bringing the tying run to bat in an 8-4 Chiefs win that tied the teams in the Western Division first-half standings in front of 4,063 at Modern Woodmen Park Monday night.
Quad Cities (33-30) suffered its first loss in Davenport in three weeks to split six first-half meetings with Peoria (33-30), and the teams are both one game behind Burlington (34-29) for second place with six games to play in the first half. Wisconsin (32-31) won its seventh straight game Monday to move within two games of the spot that will mean a playoff berth for the team holding it after games next Sunday.
Seeking to salvage the third and final game of the series, the Chiefs took a lead within the game's first two batters. Center fielder C.J. McElroy Jr., who reached base all five times at the plate, drew the first of five walks by River Bandits left-hander Chris Lee (2-4). Lee's wild pickoff throw toward first base sent McElroy to third, and he scored on a groundout by right fielder Vaughn Bryan. With two outs, catcher Carson Kelly singled to right field and scored on a double down the left-field line from first baseman Gerwuins Velazco.
In the second inning, Chiefs second baseman Richy Pedroza singled to right field, McElroy walked, and Bryan tripled home both runners for his game-high three RBIs and a 4-0 Chiefs lead. Lee then retired seven in a row before allowing his next hit.
The River Bandits reached the scoreboard in the third inning, when left fielder Ronnie Mitchell led off with his team-high ninth home run to right field off Chiefs right-hander Arturo Reyes (4-3). It was one of just two hits through the first six innings against Reyes.
The Chiefs added to the lead in the fifth inning, when Lee allowed two walks around an infield single to load the bases with no outs. Left-hander Albert Minnis entered to get Velazco to hit into a run-scoring double play and finished the inning with a 5-1 deficit. Lee was charged with five earned runs on six hits and five walks with no strikeouts in four innings. In the sixth inning, Minnis allowed a one-out single to Kenny Peoples Walls, who advanced to second base when Minnis was called for a balk. Quad Cities manager Omar Lopez argued the call and was ejected by base umpire Adrian Gonzalez, who called a second balk on Minnis to move Peoples-Walls to third base. Pedroza then hit an RBI single to make it 6-1. Minnis also allowed a seventh-inning RBI single by designated hitter Mason Katz.
Trailing 7-1, the River Bandits made noise against Reyes in the seventh inning, as All-Star right fielder Brett Phillips hit a leadoff triple, and third baseman Tyler White was hit by a pitch. Right-hander Zach Loraine entered to throw two wild pitches that scored Phillips and moved White to third base. White scored on a groundout, and doubles by first baseman Jon Kemmer and Mitchell cut the lead to 7-4.
Peoria added a run on three straight eighth-inning singles off right-hander Patrick Christensen. With an 8-4 lead, Loraine completed two innings, before former River Bandits right-hander Robert Stock - appearing at Modern Woodmen Park for the first time since he played four seasons with Quad Cities from 2009 to 2012 - pitched a scoreless ninth inning with a walk, strikeout and game-ending double play.
The River Bandits open a three-game series in Cedar Rapids at 6:35 p.m. Tuesday. River Bandits right-hander Jandel Gustave (5-3) is scheduled to face right-hander Aaron Slegers (5-2). Burlington visits Clinton, Peoria hosts Kane County, and Wisconsin hosts Beloit.
