DAVENPORT, IOWA (July 26, 2019) — The Peoria Chiefs built a lead in the early innings and then hung on for a 7-6 win despite a furious rally from the Quad Cities River Bandits in the bottom of the ninth inning on Friday night at Modern Woodmen Park. Carlos Machado’s three-run home-run brought the Bandits within a run before Alex McKenna flied out to deep-right field to end the game. Quad Cities finished their nine-game homestand with a 4-5 record.
Peoria (8-25, 38-64) carried a 7-2 lead into the last of the ninth inning and brought in Sebastian Tabata to try and close out the game. The inning began with a walk to Cesar Salazar and a single by Oscar Campos. The next two batters were retired, but Trey Dawson extended the game with an RBI infield-single off of the pitcher’s hip. Machado brought more intrigue to the contest by going up to get a high pitch and driving it over the left-field wall for his first home run of the season. With the tying-run coming to the plate, the Chiefs went to Freddy Pacheco for the second time in the series. He retired McKenna to earn his second save of the campaign.
The Chiefs scored a run in the very first inning with an RBI single up the middle from Imeldo Diaz. That margin grew to 5-0 thanks to back-to-back two run singles by Jonatan Machado and Delvin Perez in the top of the fourth.
Quad Cities (18-14, 61-37) reached the scoreboard for the first time in the bottom of the fourth. Ramiro Rodriguez bunted for a base hit and raced around to score on an RBI double off of the wall in right field by Cesar Salazar.
Each team scored in the seventh inning as well. Alexis Wilson built the Chiefs advantage to 7-1 with a two-RBI base-knock. In the home-half of the frame, Grae Kessinger drove in Freudis Nova with a sharp single through the left side. That set the stage for the ninth-inning drama.
River Bandits starter Jose Bravo was chased after 4.0 innings, having allowed five runs on eight hits. Reliever Hunter Martin surrendered the other two runs over his 2.1 innings on the mound. The final 2.2 frames belonged to right-hander Devin Conn, who scattered three hits in his third consecutive scoreless appearance.
Peoria outhit the Bandits 14-11 in an offensive display. The Chiefs had three hits from Brandon Riley and two hits from four other members of the lineup. Every player in the River Bandits lineup collected at least one hit with Salazar and Machado registering a pair.
The River Bandits will head to Pohlman Field in Beloit to take on the Snappers on Saturday night at 6:30PM. The pitching match-up in game one will feature RHP Lupe Chavez (0-1, 4.15) of the Bandits against RHP Aiden McIntyre (2-7, 5.15) of Beloit.
Peoria (R-H-E): 7-14-0
Quad Cities (R-H-E): 6-11-0
Win: Thomas (2-0)
Loss: Bravo (1-4)
Save: Pacheco (2)
HR: Peoria: None
HR: Quad Cities: Carlos Machado (1, 9th inning, 2 on base)
All River Bandits games are broadcast on 1170 K-BOB and TuneIn Radio. Home games are also available with video on MiLB.TV.
