DAVENPORT, IOWA (August 25, 2021) — In a resumption of their June 20 matchup, the Quad Cities River Bandits fell to the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers 2-1 on Tuesday in a rain-shortened seven-inning game before the second game of the scheduled doubleheader was postponed.
The contest picked up with Nick Loftin on first base, one out, and Victor Castaneda resuming his start in the bottom of the first against Michael Massey, who sent the opening pitch of the continuation to shortstop, Antonio Pinero, who started an inning-ending double-play.
A J Block, also an original starter on June 20, got a double-play of his own in the top of the second to face the minimum in a scoreless return to the hill, but allowed a two-out walk to Joey Wiemer in the third. A passed ball allowed the Timber Rattlers’ DH to move into scoring-position for the next batter at the plate, Zavier Warren, who drove in the first run of the game with a knock up the middle.
Both Block and Castaneda dominated the fourth and fifth, with Nick Kahle being the only hitter to reach base for either team during the two frames. However, the Bandits finally broke through against Castaneda in the sixth and, after a bloop base-hit by Rubendy Jaquez, recorded their first tally when Michael Massey banged an RBI triple off of the center-field wall to tie the game at 1-1.
The stalemate didn’t last long though, as after Block struck out LG Castillo to begin the seventh, Felix Valerio shot a double down the left-field line and then, on the very next pitch, gave Wisconsin a 2-1 lead by touching home on Carlos Rodriquez’s RBI single up the middle.
Quad Cities mustered nothing in response in their half of the seventh and were shut down in order by Castaneda, who also notched his seventh punch-out in the frame.
Will Klein took over on the hill for the Bandits in the top of the eighth and stranded Warren’s lead-off walk by striking out the side to send it to the bottom-half.
As rain started to fall, Gavin Stupienski worked a walk against Castaneda, to put the tying run on, but as Tucker Bradley stepped to the plate, the downpour intensified and the game was put into a delay.
After 58 minutes spent under a delay, the game was officially called off in the top of the eighth, securing Quad Cities' 32nd loss of the season, with Game Two of the evening postponed.
Castaneda (2-1) ended up with a seven-inning complete game victory and gave up just one run on three hits, two walks, and seven strike-outs, while Block (0-2) ended up a tough-luck loser, surrendering just one earned run in seven innings, the longest outing of his career.
Game Two of the double-header is scheduled as part of a new twin bill beginning at 5PM CDT tomorrow at Modern Woodmen Park, where Christian Cosby (3-2, 4.05), the man originally scheduled to pitch game two for Quad Cities, will go up against Wisconsin’s Brandon Knarr (0-0, 7.36).
ABOUT THE BANDITS: The 2021 season marks the River Bandits’ first year as a new Advanced-A Major League affiliate. As such, the team will be offering higher-quality baseball than has ever before been played in the Quad Cities. Additionally, the Bandits will welcome a new MLB affiliate to the Quad Cities, the Kansas City Royals. The River Bandits anchor the Quad Cities’ sports-market, which The Sports Business Journal named the top minor-league sports-market in the country in 2015 and second-best minor-league market in its 2017 follow-up ranking. In 2015, 2017, and again in 2019, the River Bandits earned Ballpark Digest’s award for “Best Charitable Works” in Minor League Baseball, the only club to win that coveted award three times. For more information, visit www.riverbandits.com or contact General Manager Joe Kubly at (563) 333-2768.
