Angel Cabrera Hits Walk-Off Home Run to Give Dayton Dragons a 4-3 Win Over Peoria Chiefs

MLN - THE RAW FEED - www.mlntherawfeed.com - MLN Newswire - www.mlntherawfeed.com - Dayton, OH – The Peoria Chiefs let a three-run lead slip away Wednesday night and the Dayton Dragons took advantage as Angel Cabrera’s walk-off solo home run gave the Chiefs a 4-3 loss to start a six-game road trip. The first-place Chiefs are now 21-11 on the half and lead Beloit by 3 ½ games in the Western Division.

    The Chiefs, who had been 41-1 when leading after seven innings this season, took a 3-1 lead into the eighth with closer Steve Vento on the hill. Justin Reed led off the inning with a grounder to second that was bobbled by Jake Opitz for an error. Zack Cozart followed with a single to left to put the tying runs on board. Vento bucked down to retire two straight outs and appeared ready to get out of the inning with two strikes on Denis Phipps. But Phipps blasted a single to center as Reed scored to cut the Chiefs lead to 3-2. Devin Mesoraco followed with a RBI single to right to tie the game at three. With the go-ahead run at second, Vento struck out Mike McKennon to end the frame.

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    The Chiefs went in order in the top of the ninth against Dragons reliever Aguido Gonzalez. Vento starter the bottom of the ninth with two quick strikes on Dayton’s eighth-place hitter Angel Cabrera. Cabrera then fouled off two pitchers before blasting a walk-off solo home run into the left-field seats. The win gives Dayton three 1-run wins against the Chiefs this season and marks the third time they have broken a ninth-inning tie to defeat Peoria.

    After both teams went scoreless in the first, Peoria picked up an unearned run in the second inning against Dragons All-Star Luis Montano. With one out, Rebel Ridling reached on an error by first baseman Brandon Waring, and he advanced to second on a groundout by Luis Bautista. Brandon Guyer put the Chiefs on the board with an opposite-field single as Ridling scored easily. Guyer stole second and moved to third on a wild pitch but was left on base as Cliff Andersen grounded out.

    With Audy Santana in control against the high-powered Dayton offense, the Chiefs continued to work against Montano. Jovan Rosa walked to start the fourth inning, and Ridling put the Chiefs up 3-0 with a line-drive home run off the left-field concession stand. Ridling, who drove in nine runs during the recent six-game homestand, now has three home runs with the Chiefs and seven on the 2008 season.

     John Mueller relieved Santana to start the sixth and retired the first two batters before Dayton got on the board. The Dragons run came on a solo home run by Brandon Waring that just cleared the left-field wall. Waring is now second in the Midwest League with 16 homers.

     Santana turned in the best start of his career with five shutout innings. The 21-year-old held the Dragons to just three hits and two walks while striking out two. Mueller allowed one run and one hit in his two innings of work while striking out two. Vento (6-3) takes the loss after allowing one earned run and three total runs over an inning of work. He struck out two and gave up four hits.

Player of the Game – Audy Santana (RHP) – Santana was outstanding over five innings and 64 pitches. The right-hander held the Dragons to three hits and two walks and left with a 3-0 lead. He struck out two and only allowed one runner past first base while inducing two double-play grounders.

Notes… The last time the Chiefs had less than five hits in a game was on May 19 at Quad Cities when they also collected just four…They haven’t had less than four hits in a game since April 20 at Great Lakes…The last time the Chiefs lost after beginning the 8^th with a lead was at Lansing April 23 when they fell 2-1…Dayton had been 2-43 when trailing after the 7^th inning…The Chiefs are 19-14 all-time at Dayton’s Fifth Third Field and lead the overall series 42-26…The last time the Chiefs blew a save and lost the game was on June 2 at Wisconsin…Ridling has 11 RBI in his last seven games…A season-high three Chiefs batters were hit by pitches…Peoria has allowed a MWL-high 81 home runs while Dayton has hit a MWL high 93…Vento also surrendered a walk-off home run at Quad Cities in game one of a double header on June 11…Rosa leads the MWL with 32 doubles and is tied for 11^th on the Chiefs single-season list…The Chiefs are 13-17 in the first game of a series and 5-10 on the road in game one…The Chiefs are 3-3 this season without Manager Ryne Sandberg who is in Cooperstown, NY for this weekend’s Hall of Fame inductions…Cubs Latin American Field Coordinator Carmelo Martinez filled in for Sandberg, but hitting coach Desi Wilson coached third base…The three-game series continues Thursday at 7:00 pm EST… Peoria will send RH Julio Castillo (0-1, 1.27) to the hill against Dayton RH Kyle Lotzkar (2-3, 4.66).

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