Peoria, IL – The Peoria Chiefs were shutout 2-0 Tuesday night by the Quad Cities River Bandits for their first home loss of the season. The loss drops the Chiefs to 3-2 on the season and they will host the River Bandits in the final game of the homestand Wednesday at 6:30pm.
Peoria fell behind in the top of the first inning when Kyle Tucker, the Astros fifth overall pick in the 2015 draft, homered to left field off Chiefs starter Brennan Leitao. The River Bandits got a rally going in the top of the third when Daz Cameron, son of major leaguer Mike Cameron, walked, Tucker singled to right and Anthony Hermelyn walked. With the bases loaded, Cameron scored on a wild pitch making the score 2-0.
The Chiefs had a couple of chances to score but came up empty against a trio of River Bandits hurlers. Brian O’Keefe double to start the season against Alex Winkelman but was stranded at third when Tucker made a diving catch in left to rob Craig Aikin. In the fourth, RJ Dennard singled with one out and O’Keefe walked. However Winkleman got consecutive flyouts to end the threat. The Chiefs lost a runner on an outfield assist in the sixth and then stranded Edmundo Sosa at second in the same inning.
Leitao (0-1) took the loss despite allowing just two runs on four hits and three walks over five innings. He struck out four and allowed a home run. Lefty Sasha Kuebel threw two shutout innings with one walk and one strikeout. Landon Beck threw two shutout innings with five strikeouts and one walk issued.
Notes: Dennard has hit safely in all five Chiefs games this season…The bullpen has not allowed a run in 12 1/3 innings…The Chiefs were 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position and stranded five runners…
…Tucker had three of Quad Cities four hits…The Chiefs hit into two double plays, including one to end the game…Magneuris Sierra and Eli Alvarez, both left-handed hitters, got the night off against LHP Winkleman…O’Keefe had the Chiefs MWL-leading 13th double of the season…Edmundo Sosa stole his first base of the season…The homestand ends Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. with RHP Derian Gonzalez (0-0, 0.00) against River Bandits RHP Rogelio Armentaros (0-1, 0.00)…Wednesday is a Hebrew National Dollar Dog Wins-Days with $1 hot dogs, $1 ice cream sandwiches and $1 fountain sodas…If the Chiefs win, fans get a free ticket to a Monday through Wednesday regular season home game… The broadcast can be heard, starting with the Pre-Game Show at 6:15 p.m., on www.peoriachiefs.com/listenlive which also has downloads for a free app on the iPhone, iPad, Blackberry and Android. The broadcast is also available on the Peoria Chiefs Network in the Tune-In Radio App.
