After back-to-back Chiefs homers in the eighth, Nate Dohm suffered his second blown save of the week as Peoria couldn’t protect a one-run lead in the ninth, allowing three runs in a 6-4 loss to Quad Cities on Friday night at Dozer Park.
With the comeback win, the River Bandits clinched a second-half West Division playoff berth. Quad Cities is set to host South Bend, the first-half West Division champion, Tuesday at Modern Woodmen Park.
Quad Cities became the third team to clinch a playoff spot against Peoria this season after South Bend and Dayton did so in the first half.
With the loss, the Chiefs dropped to 30-33 in the second half.
The Chiefs wasted no time getting on the board when Andrew Williamson lined a leadoff home run to right field, barely clearing the wall to open a 1-0 lead. It marked the Chiefs’ seventh leadoff homer of the season and Williamson’s second.
Quad Cities answered in the top of the second on Erick Torres’ RBI single to even the game at one.
River Bandits starter Kendry Chourio, the Royals’ No. 1 prospect, tossed three innings of one-run ball on two hits while he walked one and struck out three.
Rob Hensey relieved Chourio in the fourth. Caden Ferraro doubled to begin the frame before he advanced to third on a fly ball and later scored on a wild pitch to give the Chiefs a 2-1 advantage.
Blake Mitchell crushed a no-doubt solo homer in the sixth inning to tie it up at two.
Chiefs starter Brian Holiday turned in the longest start by a Peoria pitcher since Brycen Mautz went seven innings in August 2024. Holiday worked seven frames on a Chiefs season-high 92 pitches, allowing two runs, one earned, on three hits while he walked one and struck out six.
In the eighth, Ben North reached on third baseman Jalin Flores’ second error of the game, later scoring on Zion Rose’s RBI single to give the River Bandits their first lead of the night, 3-2.
Back-to-back solo home runs from Williamson and Yairo Padilla in the bottom of the eighth put the Chiefs back ahead, 4-3. That was Williamson’s second homer of the game and Padilla’s first High-A bomb.
Dohm entered in the ninth with a chance to close it out. Instead, Jose Cerice was hit by a pitch for the second time and later scored with Austin Charles on Nolan Sailors’ go-ahead two-run single to make it 5-4 River Bandits. On the next pitch, a wild pitch brought home Ben North to extend Quad Cities’ advantage to 6-4.
L.P. Langevin secured the win, sending Peoria down in order in the bottom of the ninth.
The Chiefs and River Bandits square off again Saturday at 7:05 p.m.
Join us for Fan Appreciation Night featuring giveaways such as electronics, memorabilia and experiences throughout the game as the Chiefs thank fans for their continued support all season long. Cap off the final Saturday night at Dozer Park with postgame fireworks against the downtown Peoria skyline.
Tickets are available at PeoriaChiefs.com or at the Dozer Park box office.
Fans can watch the game on PeoriaChiefs.com and the Bally Sports Live app or listen on PeoriaChiefs.com.