With two outs in the bottom of the ninth in a scoreless game, the Chiefs recorded two singles and two walks, including Ian Petrutz’s walk-off walk, to defeat the Whitecaps 1-0 Thursday night at Dozer Park.
Peoria recorded its third walk-off of the season, its first via a walk, won its third straight games and advanced to 12-14 in the second half.
Chiefs starter Yhoiker Fajardo struck out each of the first four batters he faced, recording his 100th strikeout of the season. In the third, he struck out the side again.
Fajardo’s outing consisted of 4.2 scoreless innings of two-hit ball, with both hits coming from Cristian Santana. He struck out eight and walked none.
Fajardo leads all Midwest League pitchers with 104 strikeouts this year, passing Beloit‘s Liomar Martinez, who entered Thursday with 103.
West Michigan starter Lucas Elissalt was impressive as well, tossing four no-hit innings before Anyelo Encarnación snuck a groundball up the middle past the diving shortstop Samuel Gil for the Chiefs’ first hit with two outs in the fifth.
Elissalt gave up just the one hit and no runs in his five innings, walking one and striking out five.
Peoria reliever Bobby Olsen recorded 1.1 empty frames, allowing just one hit before Dominic Freeberger struck out two and walked Santana in the seventh.
Zack Lee came out of the bullpen for the Whitecaps and kept the Chiefs scoreless through the sixth and seventh.
In the eighth, Christian Worley punched out two and then left a runner stranded after a two-out walk.
Encarnación walked to lead off the eighth before Luis Pino grounded into a 6-4-3 double play and Cameron Nickens struck out.
In a scoreless game entering the ninth, Worley returned to the mound and gave up a leadoff double to Clayton Campbell. He struck out Shliger before Encarnación made a leaping grab of a line drive at second. Worley then fanned Santana to end the inning, stranding the potential go-ahead run on second base.
With two outs in the home half of the ninth, Eliseo Mota’s outing unraveled. After the Whitecaps reliever recorded five consecutive outs in relief, Jalin Flores and Josh Kross singled before Michael Dattalo was hit by a 3-2 pitch. Ian Petrutz came up to the plate and worked a 3-1 count before Mota missed outside to walk in Flores, the Chiefs’ winning run.
The Chiefs have an opportunity to clinch their first series victory since they swept Beloit June 2-7 on Friday at 7:05 p.m.
Tickets are available at PeoriaChiefs.com or at the Dozer Park box office.
Dozer Park will be on island time Friday for Hawaiian Night, featuring a Chiefs-themed Hawaiian shirt for the first 1,000 fans, presented by CEFCU. It’s Family Friday, with four tickets available for $50, including two small pizza coupons from Firehouse Pizza & Pub. It’s also the second of three consecutive nights of postgame fireworks, courtesy of CEFCU.
Fans can watch the game on MiLB.TV and the Bally Sports Live app or listen on PeoriaChiefs.com.