BANDITS BEAT RATTLERS TO WIN 9TH STRAIGHT
Quad Cities' longest winning streak in 13 years gives the club the best current record in affiliated baseball
DAVENPORT, Iowa (May 8, 2015) - After a first-inning, one-out home run by Wisconsin Timber Rattlers center fielder Brandon Diaz, Quad Cities River Bandits left-hander Chris Lee and right-hander Kevin Comer combined to hold the visitors scoreless for the rest of a 4-1 victory and their team's ninth straight win in front of 1,480 at Modern Woodmen Park Thursday night.
With the best record in affiliated professional baseball, Quad Cities (22-6) has won nine straight games for the first time in exactly 13 years. The team's last winning streak of at least nine games was a 10-game streak April 26-May 7, 2002.
Entering Thursday with six straight losses, the Timber Rattlers (8-20) took their first lead in three games in the first inning. With one out, Diaz hit a drive over the right-field wall in front of the Built Ford Tough Deck for his first home run since July 2014 - and the first Midwest League home run allowed by Lee (2-2) since Aug. 15, 2014.
In the bottom of the first inning, the River Bandits responded with two outs against right-hander Cy Sneed (1-3). Center fielder Derek Fisher hit double down the right-field line that landed just beyond the dive of right fielder Elvis Rubio. Catcher Jacob Nottingham then singled to left field to score Fisher for the tying run. First baseman Bryan Muñiz then grounded to shortstop Luis Aviles, who misplayed it for an error to continue the inning. With runners at first and second bases, River Bandits second baseman Alex Hernandez capitalized by grounding a single into center field that scored Nottingham for a 2-1 Quad Cities lead.
Lee held the 2-1 lead for the rest of his second straight five-inning, one-run start against Wisconsin. He worked around a bunt single in the second inning, a leadoff base runner from an error by third baseman Kristian Trompiz in the third inning, a walk in the fourth inning, and a single and walk in the fifth inning. He allowed three hits and two walks with three strikeouts.
Sneed did not allow a hit after the first inning and faced the minimum in the second through fifth innings. Shortstop Thomas Lindauer drew a walk with one out in the second inning but was thrown out trying to steal second base to end the inning. Sneed did not allow another base runner, allowing two runs - one earned - on three hits and one walk with five strikeouts in six innings.
Comer began the sixth inning with a 2-1 lead and retired the first two batters before third baseman Tucker Neuhaus put a bunt single toward Trompiz. Neuhaus was awarded third base after Trompiz fielded and then discarded the ball to the third-base dugout. But two pitches later, Trompiz caught a foul popup by second baseman Dustin DeMuth near the third-base dugout to end the inning.
In leaving 10 runners on base, Wisconsin had its best scoring threat in the top of the seventh inning. Catcher Greg McCall hit a leadoff double to right-center field and went to third base on a bunt single by shortstop Luis Aviles. Comer then struck out left fielder Mitch Meyer before hitting Diaz to load the bases. With one out, Comer struck out designated hitter Carlos Leal swinging and first baseman Sthervin Matos looking to keep the 2-1 Quad Cities lead.
Quad Cities added two runs against right-hander Josh Uhen. With two in the seventh inning, Trompiz grounded an infield single down the third-base line and scored when left fielder Jason Martin drove a double to left-center field. In the eighth inning, designated hitter Mott Hyde, Fisher and Nottingham hit consecutive one-out singles to make it 4-1.
Comer struck out the side around a two-out walk in the eighth inning and struck out all three batters in the ninth inning to earn his first save of the season. He recorded the final nine outs on strikeouts and yielded three hits and one walk in four shutout innings.
The River Bandits, who have allowed only 10 runs in their last 10 games, continue their series with Wisconsin at 7 p.m. Friday.
UP NEXT: Gates open at 6 p.m. Friday for Neon Night, presented by Fitness Xpress. Anyone who wears a neon piece of clothing will get $1 off any regularly priced ticket. After the 7 p.m. game will be Friday Fireworks presented by Smart Toyota of the Quad Cities, WLLR and WQAD. Individual tickets are on sale at the River Bandits box office and online at riverbandits.com. Ticket plans of 12 to 70 games - which include free parking, reserved seats, merchandise discounts, and guaranteed giveaways - are available by calling 563-324-3000.
BANDITS SWEEP COUGARS, WIN 8TH STRAIGHT
With its longest regular season winning streak in 13 seasons, Quad Cities is the first team in baseball to 21 wins
GENEVA, Ill. (May 6, 2015) - Quad Cities River Bandits pitchers Joshua James, Reymin Guduan, Brock Dykxhoorn and Eric Peterson combined to hold the Kane County Cougars to one run on seven singles at Fifth Third Bank Ballpark Wednesday, and the team completed a perfect six-game road trip to win its eighth straight game and become the first team in baseball to win 21 games this season.
The first-place River Bandits (21-6) have their best 27-game start in at least 30 years and their longest regular season winning streak since a 10-game streak April 26-May 7, 2002. They are 13-2 on the road and have swept three straight road series to win nine straight road games for the first time since August 2010. The team had not been perfect on a road trip of six or more games in at least 12 seasons.
Kane County (11-16) kept Quad Cities scoreless for three innings, as Cougars left-hander Jared Miller (2-2) retired nine of the first 10 batters. In the fourth inning, Miller walked first baseman Jamie Ritchie before designated hitter Mott Hyde flied out to center field. Third baseman Nick Tanielu grounded into a fielder's choice that retired Ritchie, but catcher Alfredo Gonzalez doubled to left field to score Tanielu. It was the only run in five innings against Miller, who allowed three hits and one walk with four strikeouts.
For the River Bandits, James began by retiring the first five batters he faced. With two outs in the second inning, Cougars designated hitter Steve McQuail singled to left field, and James allowed the first walk by a Quad Cities pitcher since the seventh inning of Sunday's game in Wisconsin - a stretch of 22 innings - to catcher Stryker Trahan. James also walked third baseman Joe Munoz to load the bases before second baseman Alvaro Rondon hit a 3-2, two-out pitch for an inning-ending flyout to left fielder Sean McMullen.
James lasted until the fourth inning with two outs, when Trahan and Munoz hit consecutive singles. James was removed after allowing four hits and three walks with three strikeouts in 3 2/3 shutout innings. Guduan came in to strike out Rondon to end the inning and retired all three batters in the fifth inning to preserve the 1-0 lead. The left-hander was earned the win in his first two Midwest League outings.
After Miller, Cougars right-hander Jeferson Mejia began the sixth inning and kept the game at 1-0 through the seventh inning. In the eighth inning, shortstop Thomas Lindauer hit a leadoff single to left field, went to second base on a sacrifice by center fielder Jason Martin, to third base on a flyout by Ritchie and scored on Mejia's wild pitch for a 2-0 Quad Cities lead.
Beginning the sixth inning after Guduan, Dykxhoorn kept Kane County scoreless until the eighth inning. With a 2-0 lead, he allowed a two-out single by first baseman Marty Herum, hit Elander with a pitch and walked McQuail to load the bases. Dykxhoorn then threw a wild pitch with Trahan batting, and Herum scored the first run against a Quad Cities pitcher since the third inning Monday - a span of 23 innings. With the tying and go-ahead runs in scoring position, Trahan flied out to right field on a 3-2 pitch to end the inning. Dykxhoorn allowed one earned run on three hits and one walk with two strikeouts in three innings.
The River Bandits added two insurance runs in the top of the ninth inning against Cougars right-hander Bud Jeter. Third baseman Kristian Trompiz singled to center field, Gonzalez was hit by a pitch, and second baseman Alex Hernandez put down a sacrifice that Munoz failed to field cleanly. Right fielder Ryan Bottger hit an RBI single to center field, and two batters later, Lindauer hit a sacrifice fly to make it 4-1. In the bottom of the ninth, Peterson allowed a leadoff walk to Munoz before setting down the next three batters for his third save and the first River Bandits sweep in Kane County since a four-game opening series April 4-7, 2013. In its last nine games, the Quad Cities pitching staff has pitched two shutouts and allowed a total of nine runs - six earned - in 83 innings, for a 0.65 ERA in that span.
MENGDEN, BANDITS CONTINUE TO ROLL IN SHUTOUT
Quad Cities wins seventh straight as right-hander and pitching staff both extend scoreless streaks to 15 innings
GENEVA, Ill. (May 5, 2015) - Quad Cities River Bandits right-hander Daniel Mengden pitched a career-high six innings and combined with right-handers Keegan Yuhl and Ryan Thompson for a six-hit shutout, while third baseman Nick Tanielu had a team-high three hits in a 4-0 win over the Kane County Cougars at Fifth Third Bank Ballpark and seventh straight Quad Cities victory Tuesday afternoon.
With their longest winning streak since winning seven in a row July 28-Aug. 3, 2013, the River Bandits (20-6) led the Western Division by 5 ½ games entering Tuesday night's games. In its last eight games, the Quad Cities pitching staff has pitched two shutouts and allowed a total of eight runs - five earned - in 74 innings, for a 0.61 ERA in that span. The team has also not walked an opposing batter in the last 20 innings and leads the Midwest League this season with a 2.09 ERA and 1.09 walks plus hits per inning pitched (WHIP).
With Tuesday's shutout, the River Bandits have kept Kane County (11-15) scoreless for the last 15 innings. Mengden (2-1) also extended a personal 15-inning scoreless streak that covers his last three outings. On Tuesday, he retired the first nine Kane County batters, including three on strikeouts, and finished with five hits and no walks with four strikeouts in six innings.
Facing Quad Cities for the second time this season, Cougars right-hander Brent Jones (1-3) kept the game scoreless for three innings. In the top of the fourth inning, River Bandits center fielder Derek Fisher led off with a bunt single to the third-base side and went to second base on Tanielu's one-out single to right field. With two outs and runners at first and second bases, left fielder Sean McMullen lined a double down the right-field line to score Fisher and place Tanielu at third base. Designated hitter Jason Martin followed by chopping an infield single behind second base to score Tanielu, but McMullen was thrown out at home plate to end the inning with a 2-0 Quad Cities lead.
In the bottom of the fourth inning, Cougars center fielder Colin Bray became the first batter to reach base against Mengden with a bunt single that rolled parallel to the third-base line until it struck third base. Shortstop Ryan Gebhardt then singled to right field. With the tying run at first base, Mengden got second baseman Cody Regis to ground into a double play, and then fielded a ground ball to retire designated hitter Steve McQuail. In the fifth inning, Cougars catcher Stryker Trahan and third baseman Joe Munoz each singled with two outs before right fielder Victor Reyes popped out. In the sixth inning, Regis hit a two-out double before McQuail flied out to end the inning.
Jones kept the score at 2-0 through six innings, in which he allowed eight hits and three walks with three strikeouts. In the fifth, shortstop Kristian Trompiz singled and went to second base on a sacrifice by right fielder Bobby Boyd. The game paused as home plate umpire J.C. Velez-Morales, struck in the head by a foul bunted ball during Boyd's at bat, left the field for treatment, and base umpire Andrew Chesnut took over home plate and solo umpiring duties. Trompiz advanced to third base on a passed ball but was thrown out at home on a fielder's choice. In the sixth, Tanielu's single and walks to McMullen and Martin loaded the bases before Trompiz flied out to end the inning.
In the seventh inning, Cougars left-hander Steve Hathaway walked Boyd, and catcher Jamie Ritchie reached on Gebhardt's throwing error that also sent Boyd to third. Second baseman Mott Hyde put a one-out squeeze bunt toward first base to score Boyd and move Ritchie to second base, and Tanielu - who has four straight multi-hit games - hit an RBI single for a 4-0 lead. Hathaway pitched a scoreless eighth inning and right-hander Luis Ramirez worked a scoreless ninth inning, but the Quad Cities bullpen held the Cougars to one baserunner, as Yuhl worked around a Reyes single in the eighth inning, and Thompson pitched a perfect ninth inning.
In Wednesday's 11 a.m. series finale, River Bandits right-hander Joshua James (1-0) is scheduled to face Cougars left-hander Jared Miller (2-1). The River Bandits seek their first eight-game regular season winning streak since they won 10 straight games April 26-May 7, 2002. With eight straight road wins - their longest such streak since nine straight in August 2010 - and a 12-2 record on the road this season, they also seek a third straight road series sweep and their first series sweep in Kane County since a four-game opening series April 4-7, 2013.
