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Fort Wayne, IN – The Peoria Chiefs offense stayed in hibernation on the road trip in a 4-2 loss Monday night against the Fort Wayne Wizards. With the loss, the Chiefs limp into Wrigley Field on Tuesday with a six-game losing streak and in second place for the first time since July 7.

     After the Chiefs left a runner on base in the first, Casey Coleman took the hill for his Peoria debut. The 15^th round draftee from this June gave up a lead-off double to Luis Durango, but Durango was thrown out at third by Brandon Guyer while trying for a triple. Brad Chalk followed with an infield single and went to third on an error by Chiefs second baseman Josh Harrison. With runners on second and third, Justin Baum put the Wizards up 1-0 with a single to center. Felix Carrasco followed with a run-scoring fielders choice to put Fort Wayne up 2-0 before Coleman got out of the inning.

     With Wynn Pelzer cruising for the Wizards, the Chiefs fell further behind in the fourth. Andy Parrino led off with a double to left-center and scored on a double to right by Ryan Hill for a 3-0 lead. After a groundout, Jon Mueller relieved Coleman and recorded back-to-back flyouts to end the inning.

    Fort Wayne added another run in the seventh against reliever Jake Muyco. Chalk and Contreras led off with singles before Baum bounced into a 5-3 double play. Carrasco drove home his second run of the game with a single to center for a 4-0 Wizards lead.

    Peoria finally got on the board against Wizards reliever Dylan Axelrod in the seventh. Luis Flores drew a lead-off walk and moved to second on a single by Harrison. Nate Samson got the Chiefs on the board with a two-run single to right, but he was left on first as Brent Oland came out of the pen to retire Jovan Rosa and Rebel Ridling.

    In his Chiefs debut, Coleman allowed three runs on eight hits over 3 1/3 innings while striking out one. Mueller threw 2 2/3 shutout innings and allowed just one hit and two walks. Muyco allowed one run on four hits while striking out one over two innings. 

Player of the Game – Nate Samson (SS) – Samson collected his 35^th multi-hit game and drove in the Chiefs lone runs on the night. He was 2-for-4 and is now third in the MWL in hits this season. 

Notes…Samson has hit safely in 16 of his last 17 starts…The Chiefs, who started the day with a half game lead, have been alone in first place since July 9 and have had at least a share of the top spot for 26 of the last 27 days…Peoria is 1-7 on the road this season on Monday…Chiefs hitters struck out 14 times tonight, the second most this season…Jovan Rosa is the 38^th player to strikeout 100 times in a season in a Chiefs uniform…Guyer leads the team with six outfield assists and was hit by a pitch for the 10^th time in July… Peoria is just 6-16 at Memorial Stadium since the start of the 2003 season and will not be sad to see the stadium close after the 2008 season… The Chiefs have allowed a run on the first inning in three straight games…The Chiefs now head to Wrigley Field in Chicago for a home game against the Kane County Cougars Tuesday at 7:05 PM…Peoria will send RH Audy Santana (1-5, 3.77) to the hill against RH Jamie Richmond (6-8, 4.60)… The game can be heard live beginning with the extended pre-game show at 6:30 pm online at www.peoriachiefs.com or on WOAM 1350 AM. 

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