(WISCONSIN TIMBER RATTLERS) GRAND CHUTE, WI – The Peoria Chiefs battered the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers 24-7 on Thursday night at Neuroscience Group Field. Tai Peete hit for the cycle and Jesús Báez drove in six runs for the Chiefs in the game. The 24 runs are the most allowed in a game by a Timber Rattlers team.
Peoria (4-8) scored in every inning except the second frame, and it started as Rainiel Rodriguez continued his assault on Wisconsin pitching with a one-out double in the top of the first. Rodriguez had three doubles and a triple against the Rattlers in Wednesday’s doubleheader. Báez followed with an RBI single for the 1-0 lead.
Wisconsin appeared to get out of the inning as Baez looked to be out on an attempt to steal second, but the call was safe and the inning continued. A balk by pitcher Ethan Dorchies and a passed ball by catcher Blayberg Diaz allowed Baez to score for a 2-0 lead.
The Rattlers (7-4) scored a run without a hit in the bottom of the first. Braylon Payne drew a walk, went to second on a wild pitch, and stole third. Andrew Fischer hit a deep drive to center for a sacrifice fly.
In the second, the Rattlers took the lead on a two-out, two-run single by Diaz.
The Chiefs retook the lead in the top of the third. Rodriguez started the inning with a single. Then, Báez homered to left for a 4-3 advantage. Later in the frame, Miguel Villarroel had a two-out single to pad the lead.
Báez drove in a run with a sacrifice fly in the top of the fourth and the Chiefs added two runs on a two-out rally in the fifth inning.
Braylon Payne golfed a solo home run to right in the fifth to bring Wisconsin to within 8-4.
A two-out rally in the top of the sixth saw Ian Petrutz deliver an RBI single for Peoria.
The Rattlers fell farther and farther behind in the seventh inning as the Chiefs tacked on ten runs against three Wisconsin pitchers. Peoria took advantage of five walks in the frame. Their big hits in the inning were a two-run single by Jose Cordoba and a three-run homer by Peete.
In the bottom of the seventh, Fischer drew a bases-loaded walk and Payne scored on a wild pitch for a pair of Timber Rattlers runs. Eric Bitonti was up with the bases loaded and no outs when he hit a hard grounder to right. However, the ball deflected off Josh Adamczewski, the runner at first base for an out. Bitonti was given a single, but the dead ball put the other runners back on base without a run scoring. The next two batters were retired and the Wisconsin rally ended.
Peoria poured on the offense when Villarroel hit a grand slam in the eighth for a 22-6 lead.
Fischer picked up his third RBI of the night with a run-scoring single in Wisconsin’s eighth inning.
Juan Baez, Wisconsin’s second baseman, took over on the mound for the top of the ninth to face Peete, who needed a triple for the cycle. Pete line a pitch to the gap in right-center and didn’t stop running until he touched third to complete the cycle. Jesús Báez drove in his sixth run of the night with a sacrifice fly for the final run of the game.
The Chiefs were 12-for-24 with runners in scoring position on Thursday.
The Rattlers had not allowed twenty runs in a game since September 2, 2004 when they lost 20-7 the Chiefs at Peoria. That was also the previous record for the most runs allowed in a game by a Rattlers team.
Friday night is game four of the series at Neuroscience Group Field. Bryce Meccage (0-0, 4.05) is the scheduled starting pitcher for the Rattlers. The Chiefs have chosen Blake Aita (0-0, 3.38) as their starting pitcher. Game time is 6:40pm.
The Rattlers are bringing back the Opening Night giveaway due to the weather issues of early April. Be one of the first 1,000 fans into the ballpark for this game to receive a special mini-poster of Milwaukee Brewers prospects from Blue Print Service Company. Discounted Ticket Night is made possible by Johnson Financial Group and features $2.50 reserved bleacher and grass berm tickets available to all fans. Children twelve and under may run the bases courtesy of Menasha Corporation after the game.
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