Clinton, IA – Elehuris Montero tied a franchise and Midwest League record with four doubles on Sunday as the Peoria Chiefs beat the Clinton LumberKings 12-3. The win moves the Chiefs to 22-12 in the second half and 61-43 overall, the best record in the Western Division.
For the second game in a row Yariel Gonzalez put the Chiefs on top in the first inning with a home run. Luken Baker singled to left off Randy Bell with one out and Montero picked up his first double of the game to put two in scoring position. Gonzalez, who hit a two-run homer on Saturday, launched a three-run shot to right, his ninth of the season before Bell got out of the inning.
With the Chiefs up 3-1 in the third, Gonzalez reached on an error at shortstop and Julio Rodriguez reached on an infield single while both runners moved up on a throwing error. JR Davis singled to plate Gonzalez for a 4-1 lead and Brandon Benson’s first hit in a Chiefs uniform made the score 5-1.
Montero’s second double of the game added to the lead in the fourth. Nick Plummer walked to start the frame and Wood Myers singled. With two outs, Montero doubled to left for his 65th RBI of the season as Plummer scored for a 6-1 Chiefs lead.
Clinton cut the gap to 6-3 before the Chiefs scored the final six runs of the game. Plummer connected on his seventh home run of the season with one out in the sixth for a 7-3 lead. Reliever Joey Gerber, drafted last month out of the University of Illinois, gave up two runs in the seventh for Clinton. Montero started the inning with his third double, Gonzalez walked and Rodriguez made it 8-3 with a single to right. Gonzalez scored on a wild pitch for a 9-3 Chiefs lead before Gerber got out of the inning with a runner left in scoring position.
The final three runs scored in the eighth as Montero put his name in the history books. Plummer walked against reliever Tyler Jackson and with one out he scored on a double off the wall by Baker. Montero followed with his fourth double as Baker scored for an 11-3 Chiefs lead. Montero came across on a Clinton error in right field to put the final score at 12-3. Montero didn’t get a chance at a fifth double as he was two batters away when the top of the ninth ended.
Johan Oviedo (7-7) won his fourth straight decision as he allowed three runs on five hits over five innings while striking out four and walking two. Zach Prendergast and Kodi Whitley each threw two shutout innings from the Chiefs bullpen. Prendergast struck out three and allowed two hits while Whitley allowed one hit.
Notes… Montero tied a 15-year old Chiefs record with the four doubles…John Santor is the only other player in team history to have four doubles in one game, which he accomplished June 6, 2003 at Battle Creek…According to the Midwest League record book online, the league record for doubles in a game is four, last accomplished in 2009…The Chiefs had a season-high 17 hits and tied a season high, set last Sunday, with eight extra-base hits…Montero has 66 RBI, the most for a Chiefs player since Jacob Wilson drove in 72 in 2013…Montero leads the MWL in batting average (.323), slugging percentage (.531), total bases (186) and hits (113)…He is tied for first in extra-base hits (42), second in RBI (66), fourth in doubles (25) and tied for fifth in home runs (14)…Gonzalez has his third hit streak of at least eight games this season…He has three homers this week, including a first inning homer in consecutive games…Plummer started in right field for the first time in his pro career…Prior to Sunday he had played one inning in right field, after pinch running in the eighth inning last year at Cedar Rapids…Benson had a single and a double with a RBI in his Chiefs debut…Plummer reached base four times with a homer, single, two walks and he stole a base…He leads the Chiefs with 45 walks…Peoria is 7-2 against Clinton this season, 4-1 in Iowa…Since allowing seven runs in a loss at Burlington on July 3, Oviedo is 4-0 with a 2.74 ERA…He has gone at least five innings in seven of his last nine starts and struck out at least our in 11 straight outings…The series continues Monday at 6:30 p.m. as the Chiefs start RH Angel Rondon (3-0, 3.54) against Clinton RH Ryne Inman (3-7, 5.09)…The broadcast can be heard, starting with the Pre-Game Show at 1:45 p.m. on www.peoriachiefs.com/listenlive and is also available on the Peoria Chiefs Network on the Tune-In Radio App.
