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The Peoria Chiefs were playing the Cedar Rapids Kernels on the road tonight on "Star Wars Night." The Kernels were dressed in this Star Wars-themed uniform. My personal opinion is that those Wookie outfits are hideous, but the Kernels did attract their largest crowd in five years and the uniforms were all auctioned off with the proceeds going to the Make-A-Wish Foundation. So I guess I'm willing to put up with bad taste once a year if it puts fans in the stands and benefits a good cause.
Iowa Cubs
The Iowa Cubs were stung by the Salt Lake Bees (Angels), 6-1.
Chris Rusin threw six innings and allowed three runs on seven hits. He walked one and struck out four as his record dropped to 4-3.
Center fielder Brett Jackson led off the bottom of the first inning with a triple and scored two batters later on an Anthony Rizzo fielder's choice. That was the last run the I-Cubs would score. Jackson was 1 for 3 with a walk.
Tennessee Smokies
The Tennessee Smokies subdued the Mississippi Braves, 3-2.
Dallas Beeler pitched five innings and allowed two runs on eight hits. Beeler walked one and struck out two as he picked up his first win of the season.
Alberto Cabrera pitched the final two scoreless innings for his third save. He allowed three hits but did not walk anyone. Cabrera struck out three.
The numbers three, four and five hitters did all the damage for the Smokies today. Center fielder Jae-Hoon Ha was 2 for 4 with two doubles and a walk. Ha scored one run.
Number four hitter and left fielder Rebel Ridling was 2 for 3 with two walks. Ridling had one RBI and also scored once. The fifth place hitter, first baseman Justin Bour, was 2 for 4 with a double that scored two in the fourth inning.
Daytona Cubs
The Daytona Cubs gave up five runs in the fifth inning and fell to the Palm Beach Cardinals, 5-3.
Starter Eric Jokisch had not allowed a run in 17 innings before he started the fifth inning today. Then he got hammered for five runs in the bottom of the fifth, which earned him his fourth loss of the season. Jokisch allowed the five runs on eight hits over 4.2 innings. He walked two and struck out four.
Center fielder Matt Szczur hit his first home run of the season in the top of the first inning, giving the Cubs an early 1-0 lead. Szczur was 2 for 3 with a double and a sacrifice fly. He scored twice and had two runs batted in. After a poor April, Szczur is now hitting .308 for the month of May.
Peoria Chiefs
The Peoria Chiefs let the Cedar Rapids Wookies (Angels) win, 7-6. (Yes, they're actually the Kernels. But if they dress like Wookies, I'm calling them Wookies.)
As proof of their strategy, the Chiefs committed three errors tonight which led to four of the seven runs being unearned. Starter Kyler Burke went five and allowed six runs, but only three of the runs were earned. Burke was touched for eight hits. He walked one and struck out three.
Sheldon McDonald gave up only one hit, but an error led to an unearned run and he took the loss. McDonald went two innings of relief. McDonald did not walk anyone and struck out one.
Center fielder Pin-Chieh Chen launched a three-run home run in the top of the second to give the Chiefs and early 4-0 lead. It was Chen's first home run of the year. He was 1 for 3 with a walk tonight and he scored two times.
Catcher Taylor Davis was a perfect 2 for 2 with a double, a triple and two walks. First baseman Paul Hoilman was 2 for 3 with a double and a walk. Hoilman scored once and knocked one in.