The Peoria Chiefs hit two home runs on Thursday night at Dozer Park. The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers scraped and clawed for five runs. Luis Lara drove in a pair of runs without swinging the bat and Gregory Barrios drove in two runs without getting the ball out of the infield. Those runs, another run scoring on a wild pitch, and stellar relief pitching were enough for the Rattlers to record a 5-3 victory over Peoria.
Dakota Harris gave the Chiefs (7-11) a lead with a one-out, solo home run in the second inning. Harris has homered twice in the series.
Wisconsin (12-6) answered in the top of the third as they loaded the bases against Peoria starter Cooper Hjerpe with no outs. Eduarqui Fernández singled, Ben Metzinger walked, and Terence Doston singled to start the inning. Lara was hit by a pitch with one out to force in the tying run. Barrios grounded into a force play at second but beat the throw to first to allow Metzinger to score and Doston to take third. Moments later, Doston scored on a wild pitch by Hjerpe for the final run of the inning.
Peoria tied the game with the long ball in the bottom of the fifth. Joshua Baez cracked a two-out homer to left-center with one out to even the score 3-3.
Wisconsin starter Will Rudy allowed another hit before retiring the next two batters to keep the game tied. Rudy allowed three runs on six hits with no walks and six strikeouts.
The Timber Rattlers bullpen was quick and efficient after taking over for Rudy in the sixth inning. Will Childers retired the Chiefs in order on twelve pitched. Aaron Rund took over in the bottom of the seventh and pitched a perfect inning with just nine pitches. Chase Costello took the ball for the Rattlers in the bottom of the eighth. He also worked a perfect inning on nine pitches.
The Rattlers went back in front in the top of the seventh with another bases-loaded rally. Fernández started the rally with a one-out single against Peoria reliever Cade Winquest. Doston drew a two-out walk. Then, Dylan O’Rae sent a high chopper to the edge of the infield behind the second base bag and beat the throw to first to load the bases with an infield single. Lara drew a four-pitch walk from Winquest to force in Fernández with the go-ahead run.
Barrios added an insurance with a fortunate bounce. The Wisconsin shortstop hit a hard hopper back through the middle. Winquest just missed the ball with a swipe of his glove behind his back. The ball clipped off the second base bag just enough to throw off Harris’s attempt to field the ball. The infield single scored Doston for a 5-3 lead.
Costello went back out for the bottom of the ninth to nail down the victory. Harris reached on an infield single with one out to bring the tying run to the plate for the Chiefs. Costello ended the game when he got William Sullivan to ground the ball behind second. Barrios fielded the ball, stepped on second, and fired to first for the game-ending double play.
The Rattlers relievers pitched four scoreless innings, allowed one hit, walked none, and struck out two to close out the game. All five Wisconsin pitchers combined to issue no walks in a game for the first time this season.
Wisconsin has won two in a row to take a 2-1 series lead over the Chiefs in the six-game series.
Game four of the series is scheduled for Friday night at Dozer Park. Brett Wichrowski (0-1, 1.64) is the scheduled starting pitcher for the Timber Rattlers. Peoria’s starting pitcher is scheduled to be Hancel Rincon (1-0, 1.93). Game time is 7:05pm CDT.
