There were 17 walks and 27 strikeouts in a sloppy game that came down to Harold Chirino protecting a one-run lead out of the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers bullpen for the final five outs of the game. Chirino did the job and the Timber Rattlers defeated the Peoria Chiefs 3-2 at Dozer Park in Peoria’s home opener.
Neither starting pitcher gave up a hit, but there were a lot of base runners early in the contest.
Wisconsin starter Freisis Adames pitched four innings, walked five, and struck out four while managing to keep the Chiefs off the scoreboard. Peoria starter Jack Ralston struck out eight and walked three over his first three inning, but it was the two walks his issued in the fourth inning that put him on the hook for the loss.
Thomas Dillard and Korry Howell drew walks to open the top of the fourth and end Ralston’s night. Reliever Michael Brettell took over for Ralston and got the first out of the inning on a high chopper off the plate by Je’Von Ward, who was retired at first as Dillard and Howell each moved up a base. Nick Kahle followed with a fly to medium center and both runners tagged on the play. The throw went to third base and Dillard scored just before Howell was tagged for the third out.
Kahle figured in Wisconsin’s second run when he started the seventh inning with a double and took third on a wild pitch. Yeison Coca drove in Kahle with a one-out single over the drawn-in infield.
Howell provided a big insurance run for the Rattlers (5-2) in the top of the eighth with a solo home run to left. The homer was Howell’s third of the season.
Nick Bennett, who relieved Adames to start the fifth inning kept the Chiefs (1-6) off the scoreboard until the eighth. Malcom Nunez doubled and Brady Whalen drew a walk. Pedro Pages followed with an RBI double and the Chiefs had a run in and the tying runs in scoring position with one out. Bennett got Brendan Donovan to pop out to shallow center for what should have been the second out and the runners would have stayed where they were. However, miscommunication in the outfield dropped the ball and Whalen scored to make it 3-2.
That brought Chirino out of the bullpen and he maintained the lead with a pair of strikeouts to end the threat.
In bottom of the ninth, Chirino got the first out on a grounder back to the mound, but a walk to Jhon Torres put the tying run on base. Chirino didn’t let the rally blossom as he struck out the next two batters to nail down the Wisconsin victory.
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