
By WJBC Staff
PEORIA – The Peoria Chiefs fell behind early and never caught up in a 4-1 loss to the Cedar Rapids Kernels Wednesday night. The loss drops the Chiefs to 25-26 in the second half and 65-56 overall with one game left on the homestand.
The Kernels got on the board in the top of the second inning against Chiefs starter Dailyn Martinez. Luis Arraez and Jaylin Davis reached on consecutive singles to start the inning. With two outs Kevin Garcia doubled to right for a 1-0 Kernels lead.
Cedar Rapids piled on in the second with some help from the Chiefs. Brandon Lopez led off with a single and Nelson Molina doubled in front of a sliding Craig Aikin in left. The Chiefs brought the infield in and Zander Wiel reached on an error by Josh Swirchak at second base as Lopez scored for a 2-0 lead. A groundout from Arraez scored Molina and Wiel scored on consecutive wild pitches for a 4-0 Kernels lead.
The Chiefs left two runners on base in the second and sixth innings against Kernels starter Eddie Del Rosario. In two previous starts against the Chiefs this season, Del Rosario allowed eight runs on 12 hits over 8 1/3 innings but tonight he threw six shutout innings and allowed just four hits.
After again leaving two runners on base in the seventh, the Chiefs finally got on the board in the eighth against reliever Logan Lombana. Magneuris Sierra reached on an infield single and Jose Martinez walked to start the inning. Jose Godoy singled home Sierra to cut the lead to 4-1 as Martinez sped to third. Godoy took second on a passed ball but Brian O’Keefe struck out. Anthony McIver took over for Lombana and struck out RJ Dennard before Leo Pina popped out to end the inning. The Chiefs went in order in the ninth.
Martinez (4-5) took the loss as he allowed four runs, three earned, on nine hits over 7 2/3 innings. He walked one and struck out seven while throwing two wild pitches. Steven De La Cruz retired all four batters he faced with one strikeout.