MiLB Player of the Day: Tai Peete

THE CARDINAL CHRONICLE
Cardinal Chronicle Player of the Day: Tai Peete                                                      St. Louis, MO
By Ray Mileur

Tai Peete did not waste a swing Friday night.

The Peoria Chiefs center fielder is the Cardinal Chronicle Player of the Day after going 4-for-4 with two home runs, two RBIs, two runs scored and a stolen base in Peoria’s 5-3 win over West Michigan at Dozer Park.

His final line:

4-for-4, 2 HR, 2 RBI, 2 R, SB

That is a complete ballgame.

Peete was perfect at the plate, showed power, added speed, scored twice and helped Peoria win its fourth straight game. In a lineup that has been showing more thunder lately, Peete gave the Chiefs another loud performance.

The two home runs pushed him to nine on the season. He also raised his average to .300 and his OPS to .980, which is the kind of line that starts getting attention in a hurry.

This was also Peete’s second two-homer game of the week, and that is not exactly a quiet stretch. Earlier in the series, he went deep twice while Jack Gurevitch hit three home runs in the same game. On Friday, Peete took the spotlight for himself.

Peoria needed every bit of it.

The Chiefs trailed 3-1 heading into the bottom of the seventh before breaking through with four runs. Sammy Hernandez hit his sixth home run of the season, and Cameron Nickens delivered a two-run homer, his third, to help flip the game.

But Peete’s work set the tone.

He reached base in every trip to the plate. He hit two balls out of the yard. He stole his sixth base. And he did it from the top of the order, giving Peoria the kind of impact performance that changes the feel of a game.

The pitching staff did its part, too. Ty Van Dyke struck out seven over five innings, and Jack Martinez added seven more strikeouts over the final four frames. Together, they punched out 14 West Michigan hitters and gave the Chiefs enough room to rally late.

Still, the bat of the night belonged to Peete.

The talent has never been hard to see. He has athleticism, bat speed, defensive versatility and the kind of tools that can show up in a lot of different ways. Friday was one of those nights when the whole package showed.

Four hits.
Two home runs.
A stolen base.
A win.

That is the kind of night that earns the headline.

Cardinal Chronicle Player of the Day:
Tai Peete, CF, Peoria Chiefs
Final Line: 4-for-4, 2 HR, 2 RBI, 2 R, SB

The Cardinal Chronicle, in association with Gateway Sports & MiLB Today
Preserving the Past, Promoting the Present, and Projecting the Future.

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Photo Credit: Tai Peete, Peoria Chiefs | MiLB