Courtesy Peoria Chiefs:
Jovan Rosa hit a game-tying, two-run home run with one out in the bottom of the ninth to tie it, but Cedar Rapids scratched across two runs in the top of the tenth as the Peoria Chiefs fell to the Kernels in Game One of the Midwest League Western Division Semifinals 6-4 Wednesday night at O’Brien Field. The Chiefs must now win back-to-back games in Iowa over the next two nights to extend their season. With the score tied 4-4 in the top of the 10th, reliever Kevin Kreier struck out Alexi Amarista but the Kernels speedster reached base as the third strike went to the backstop for a wild pitch. Roberto Lopez lined a double down the right field line to move Amarista to third. The Chiefs decided to intentionally walk Beau Brooks, but Kreier’s first pitch to Brooks flew to the backstop and Amarista scored to give the Kernels the lead. Peoria then decided to pitch to Brooks, who slapped a RBI single to center to score Lopez to make it a 6-4 contest. The Chiefs threatened in the 10th when Jose Valdez walked and Ryan Flaherty singled to left to bring up Rebel Ridling who represented the winning run. Ridling, who was the Chiefs best hitter with runners in scoring position this season, was bested this time as he wrapped into a 4-6-3 double play to make Kyler Burke the Chiefs last hope. Burke drove one to left but Matt Crawford sprinted in and made a running catch to end the contest. The game went to extra innings because the Chiefs rallied to tie it in the ninth on one of the most dramatic homers in O’Brien Field history. With a 3-2 count, Burke smacked a solid single to left to lead off the inning. LeMahieu hit a bouncing ball over the mound knocked down after a wicked hop by Amarista, who quickly flipped it for the force out at second. Rosa, in his fourth game off the disabled list, picked on the first pitch and launched a game-tying two-run homer into the berm in left. Cedar Rapids scored the game’s first run in the second. After needing just 10 pitches to retire the first four batters he faced, starter Austin Bibens-Dirkx made a mistake over the plate and Kernels slugger Gabe Jacobo capitalized, belting a solo homer to left to give the visitors an early 1-0 lead. The Chiefs deficit didn’t last long as the home team tied it with a solo tally in their half of the second. Burke, who was second in the MWL in on-base percentage during the regular season, drew a walk to start the frame. After a D.J. LeMahieu groundout to second that moved Burke to second base, Rosa straddled the left field chalk with a line drive single to plate Burke and knot the game at one. Spotty defense by the Chiefs allowed Cedar Rapids to regain a one-run lead in the fourth. With one away, Brooks walked to bring up Jacobo. Jacobo hit a slow chopper towards D.J. LeMahieu at short for a potential double play ball. LeMahieu’s throw to second for the lead runner Brooks sailed by second baseman Flaherty and into right field, allowing Brooks to reach third and Jacobo to coast into second. Crawford came up and found a hole on the left side of the infield for a RBI single, plating Brooks. With runners at the corners and one away, Bibens-Dirkx escaped further damage when Darwin Perez bunted Crawford to second with Jacobo staying at third base, and Jon Townsend lined out to left to keep the Chiefs deficit at 2-1. Cedar Rapids padded their lead in the fifth. Angel Castillo laced a single to right to start the inning and moved to second when Ridling missed a pickoff throw from Bibens-Dirkx with Auer at the plate. After Auer grounded out to third, Amarista, the MWL batting champion, ripped a double high off the wall in right to score Castillo to make it a 3-1 ballgame. The Kernels kept the offense going on the sixth inning as Jacobo led off with a single and moved to second on another sacrifice bunt. Townsend made it a 4-1 game with a double to left as Jacobo scored easily. Bibens-Dirkx ended the threat by striking out Castillo looking with a runner left in scoring position. After the Lake double play ended the second, the stagnant Chiefs offense produced just one baserunner against Smith over the next three innings. However in the sixth they finally produced a run to get back in the game. Valdez reached on a swinging but single and stole second. The speedster took third on a fielders’ choice with Flaherty safe at first on the play. Ridling bounced into another fielders’ choice with Flaherty out at second as Valdez scored to cut the Peoria deficit to two. After Burke flew out to left, LeMahieu drove one deep to right-center but Auer caught up to the drive to end the inning. Bibens-Dirkx, who struggled in his final regular season start against Kane County, allowed four runs on seven hits over six innings Wednesday night. Three of the runs were earned and he allowed a solo homer while walking two and striking out one. Buchter anchored down the Kernels offense, throwing two scoreless innings, allowing just one hit while walking one and striking out five. Kreier suffered the loss after giving up two runs on two hits and striking out three in two innings of work.