BOSTICK, BANDITS EARN SPLIT IN BURLINGTON
Kristian Trompiz homers, and Quad Cities lowers its magic number to nine
BURLINGTON, Iowa (June 1, 2015) - Quad Cities River Bandits right-hander Akeem Bostick allowed one run in six innings, while center fielder Jason Martin and designated hitter Jamie Ritchie each had three hits in the top two spots in the lineup to lead the visitors to a 4-2 win and four-game series split with the Burlington Bees at Community Field Monday night.
Quad Cities (36-16) kept a two-game lead over second-place Cedar Rapids (34-18) in the Midwest League Western Division. The River Bandits have not lost any of their first eight road series, and their magic number (combination of Quad Cities wins and losses by a third-place team) to clinch a first-half playoff spot is nine. Burlington (26-26) is in a three-way, third-place tie with Kane County and Peoria.
For a fourth straight game in the series, neither team scored in the first two innings. Bees right-hander Keynan Middleton (2-3) stranded two runners in scoring position in the first inning and one at second base in the second inning. Bostick faced the minimum through the first three innings, getting a double play in the first inning and a runner picked off first base by catcher Jacob Nottingham in the second inning.
Martin and Ritchie began the top of the third inning with consecutive singles, and Middleton walked shortstop Mott Hyde to load the bases. Nottingham then grounded to second baseman Andrew Daniel, who began a double play, with a run scoring to give Quad Cities a 1-0 lead.
In the fourth inning, third baseman Kristian Trompiz drove a one-out, solo home run over the signage in left field for his fourth home run and a 2-0 lead. The next batter, center fielder Bobby Boyd, struck out swinging, but the ball got past catcher Wade Wass for a wild pitch allowing Boyd to reach first base. Second baseman Thomas Lindauer singled to left field, and Wass's passed ball with Martin batting put Boyd and Lindauer in scoring position. Martin then lifted a fly ball to left field that scored Boyd for a 3-0 River Bandits edge.
Bostick worked around a pair of fourth-inning singles by getting a double play and strikeout, but in the fifth inning, the Bees finally scored. Left fielder Caleb Adams reached on an infield single to Hyde and went to second base on Wass's groundout. Bees first baseman Fran Whitten then doubled to left-center field, scoring Adams. Designated hitter Trevor Gretzky singled to right field to send Whitten to third base and put the tying run on base, but Bostick got shortstop Jake Yacinich to fly out to Boyd in deep center field.
After Middleton allowed three runs - two earned - on eight hits and one walk with seven strikeouts in five innings, right-hander Jordan Piche began the sixth inning, allowing Trompiz's leadoff single to right field. A balk sent Trompiz to second base, and Martin hit a two-out single into center field to score Trompiz for a 4-1 lead. In the bottom of the sixth, Bostick allowed consecutive singles, but Boyd threw out center fielder Michael Hermosillo at third base on Daniel's single, and Bostick retired the next two batters. Bostick allowed nine hits and no walks while striking out three batters.
River Bandits right-hander Christian Powell began the seventh inning and allowed a two-out solo home run to Whitten. In the eighth inning, he allowed a leadoff walk to shortstop Jake Yacinich before retiring the next five batters. When Wass hit a two-out single in the ninth inning, Whitten came to bat as the tying run, but left-hander Jordan Mills entered to strike him out for his first Midwest League save.
After being held to one run in each of the first three games of the series, the River Bandits posted four runs and 12 hits, although they struck out 14 times against Bees pitchers for the third time in four games.
COMER, MARTES COMBINE TO SHUT OUT BEES
River Bandits pitchers hold Burlington to four hits, scratch across lone run in sixth inning of 1-0 win
BURLINGTON, Iowa (May 30, 2015) - Kevin Comer pitched five innings, allowing just four hits while striking out five, and center fielder Bobby Boyd drove in the game's only run as the Quad Cities River Bandits defeated the Burlington Bees by a score of 1-0 at Community Field in Burlington Saturday night.
With its fifth shutout of the season and first 1-0 win in two seasons, Quad Cities (35-15) reclaimed the best record in professional baseball, due to a loss by the Triple-A Oklahoma City Dodgers (33-15) in the Pacific Coast League Saturday. The River Bandits last won a 1-0 game on July 26, 2013 - also at Community Field in Burlington.
For the second game in a row, the River Bandits scored only one run, but unlike Friday night, the Quad Cities pitching staff was able to keep the opponent off the board. Francis Martes pitched in relief of Comer (5-1) and allowed just one base runner in four innings to earn his first career save.
Just like in the first game of the series, each team was held scoreless through the first three innings. Burlington (25-25) hit safely in each of the first three innings, threatening with runners on the corners with only out in the second inning after a leadoff base hit by right fielder Natanael Delgado and another by first baseman Ryan Seiz. Comer kept the Bees at bay, striking out left fielder Alex Abbott and then getting shortstop Erick Salcedo to ground out to end the inning.
Burlington brought another man into scoring position against Comer in the third, as second baseman Andrew Daniel singled with two out and then stole second base. The following batter, third baseman Zach Houchins, was hit with a pitch, setting the table for Delgado, who drove in two runs Friday. Comer held strong again, however, getting Delgado to fly out to center field to stop the threat for the Bees.
The River Bandits had their hands full early with Bees right-handed starter Justin Anderson (3-3). Through three innings, Anderson struck out seven Quad Cities hitters, allowing just one hit - a one-out single by designated hitter Sean McMullen in the second inning. Anderson struck out both left fielder Jason Martin and first baseman Ryan Bottger to leave McMullen in scoring position. Quad Cities again had a runner left on second base in the fifth inning after Bottger and right fielder Ramon Laureano were unable to score Martin, who stole his way into scoring position after dropping in a bloop single to right field with one out.
In the sixth inning, the Bandits got on the scoreboard after Boyd drove in second baseman Kristian Trompiz. Trompiz reached on a base hit to left to start the inning, and then made it to third by stealing second base and advancing on an errant throw by Bees catcher Wade Wass. Then, with the infield in, Boyd grounded a ball sharply underneath the diving Andrew Daniel at second base, scoring what would end up being the game's only run.
BEES' RHOADES PROVES TOO TOUGH FOR BANDITS
Burlington scores single runs in the fourth through sixth innings and holds off ninth-inning rally
BURLINGTON, Iowa (May 29, 2015) - Burlington Bees right fielder Natanael Delgado had a pair of run-scoring doubles, and right-hander Jeremy Rhoades allowed just five hits and struck out nine while walking one in seven shutout innings, as Burlington took the opener of a four-game series over the Quad Cities River Bandits at Community Field in Burlington on Friday night.
The River Bandits (34-15) were only retired in order once, but they did not break through onto the scoreboard until a ninth-inning rally started by a leadoff walk to third baseman Nick Tanielu and a base hit to center field by left fielder Jason Martin. After first baseman Ryan Bottger and right fielder Ramon Laureano - who made his Midwest League debut Friday - struck out swinging against Bees closer Eduardo Paredes, second baseman Kristian Trompiz singled to right, scoring Tanielu. With the tying runs at first and second bases, Paredes struck out center fielder Bobby Boyd to earn his seventh save. With Cedar Rapids (31-18) winning at home against Clinton, Quad Cities' lead in first place of the Midwest League Western Division shrank to three games.
Rhoades (4-3) and River Bandits starter Joshua James (1-1) did not allow a run through the first three innings. James allowed just two base runners in that span, issuing one walk and hitting a batter. Meanwhile, the River Bandits had their best scoring chance against Rhoades in the first inning, as shortstop Mott Hyde and catcher Jacob Nottingham each singled against the Burlington starter with two outs, before Tanielu popped out to first baseman Ryan Seiz to end the threat.
The game remained scoreless until the bottom of the fourth, when Bees center fielder Michael Hermosillo lined a 1-0 pitch into center field for his team's first hit. Boyd made a head-first diving catch in center field on a line drive by second baseman Andrew Daniel to keep the runner at first base, but Hermosillo was able to successfully steal second one batter later. After a routine fly ball to center field, Delgado split the gap in right-center field to score Hermosillo and give Burlington the 1-0 lead.
Trompiz lofted a one-out double down the left field line with one out in the fifth to put the tying run in scoring position, but a flyout to center by Boyd and a strikeout by designated hitter Jamie Ritchie ended the threat for Quad Cities. The River Bandits again had the tying run in scoring position in the sixth inning after Tanielu grounded a ball to Houchins, and the Bees third baseman overthrew Seiz at first base, allowing Tanielu not only to reach safely, but make it all the way to third base on the throwing error. Rhoades would get Martin to ground a ball right back to him on the mound, stranding the potential tying run 90 feet away.
Burlington would extend its lead in the fifth on an RBI single by left fielder Erick Salcedo to drive in Seiz, who led off the inning with a double. Delgado would drive in Daniel in the sixth inning to provide a second insurance run for the Bees, this time finding the alleyway in left-center field, and chasing James out of the contest. With James removed after a career-high 5 1/3 innings, right-hander Christian Powell made his River Bandits debut. After walking catcher Wade Wass, Powell struck out Seiz and got designated hitter Fran Whitten to fly out to center field. Powell worked a perfect seventh inning for Quad Cities, finishing his night with a pair of strikeouts. Ryan Thompson pitched the eighth inning, allowing a leadoff single, but then inducing a double-play ball and another groundout to end the inning.
