The Chiefs set up the tying and winning runs in scoring position with no outs in the bottom of the ninth but failed to capitalize in a 4-3 loss Wednesday night at Dozer Park.
In his High-A debut, Peoria starter Ty Van Dyke took the loss after a rough opening inning. The right-hander walked the bases loaded and surrendered a two-run double to Khadim Diaw to give Cedar Rapids a 2-0 lead.
Van Dyke settled in afterward, allowing just two more hits over 3.2 innings while striking out two to keep the deficit at two.
Peoria answered in the bottom of the third when Tai Peete drove in Christian Martin, who led off the inning with a double, on an RBI groundout to cut the deficit to 2-1.
Cedar Rapids got the run back in the fourth inning when Marek Houston doubled to left off Peoria reliever Bobby Olson, scoring Jay Thomason to extend its lead to 3-1.
Kernels starter Michael Ross earned the win, tossing five innings of one-run ball while allowing two hits, walking one, and striking out four.
Jawilme Ramirez delivered two scoreless frames for Peoria to keep the Chiefs within striking distance heading to the eighth.
In the top half of the inning, Cedar Rapids added an insurance run on a Dominic Freeberger wild pitch that scored Diaw to make it 4-1.
Peoria nipped at the deficit in the bottom of the eighth when Jesús Báez notched a solo home run for the third straight game, trimming the deficit to 4-2.
Trailing by two in the ninth, the Chiefs mounted one final push against Kernels reliever Yehizon Sanchez. Josh Kross opened the inning with a double before Jalin Flores walked to put the tying run on base with nobody out. Cade McGee followed with an RBI double to score Kross and cut the deficit to 4-3, leaving runners at first and second with the tying run 90 feet away.
Sanchez escaped the jam by striking out Won-Bin Cho and José Suárez before inducing a game-ending ground ball from Martin to pick up the save.
The Chiefs have now lost four straight games, dropping to 16-24 overall.
Game three of the series is Thursday at 6:35 p.m.
Fans can enjoy $2 draft beers, $2 sodas, and $4 craft beers. College students can get in the gates for $5 with a valid ID, and dogs are welcome to Dozer Park for the third consecutive day.
Watch the game on MiLB.TV or the Bally Sports Live app, or listen to the call on PeoriaChiefs.com.