BANDITS THRASH TIMBER RATTLERS, 10-1, FOR SWEEP

Quad Cities hits three doubles and three triples for sixth straight road win and best 24-game start since 1992

GRAND CHUTE, Wis. (May 3, 2015) - Six Quad Cities River Bandits had two-hit games, and four players drove in two runs each, while right-hander Joe Musgrove went five shutout innings for his fourth win in a 10-1 victory that completed a three-game series sweep over the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers at Neuroscience Group Field at Fox Cities Stadium Sunday afternoon.

The first five batters in the River Bandits order - left fielder Bobby Boyd, first baseman Jamie Ritchie, center fielder Derek Fisher, second baseman Mott Hyde and third baseman Nick Tanielu - as well as shortstop Kristian Trompiz each had two hits. The first four batters each scored two runs, while Hyde, Tanielu, Trompiz and catcher Alfredo Gonzalez each drove in two runs.

By scoring a season-high 10 runs and matching a season high with 13 hits, first-place Quad Cities (18-6) swept its second straight road series and matched a season high with a fifth straight win overall. The club has its best record through 24 games since 1992.

For a second straight day, the River Bandits had their biggest inning in the first. Boyd led off the game by grounding a double down the third-base line, and Ritchie drew a walk against Timber Rattlers left-hander Kodi Medeiros (0-2). Fisher then grounded to first baseman David Denson, who dropped the ball, loading the bases with no outs. Medeiros walked Hyde on four pitches to score the first run, and Tanielu followed with a two-run single into right field. Gonzalez grounded into a fielder's choice for the first out, but Hyde scored to make it 4-0. Medeiros faced nine batters in the inning, which was the largest first inning for the River Bandits this season.

Wisconsin (8-16) never brought the tying run to the on-deck circle for the entire game. Musgrove (4-1) allowed a first-inning leadoff double to Milwaukee Brewers rehabbing second baseman Scooter Gennett, but a groundout, strikeout and flyout ended the inning. Musgrove also worked around lone singles in each of the next four innings to scatter five hits and strike out three batters without a walk. Gennett went 2-for-4 in his third game of a rehab assignment with Wisconsin. He singled in the third inning but also grounded into an inning-ending double play in the fifth inning. In the three-game series against Quad Cities, Gennett finished 3-for-8 with a double, run, RBI, walk, stolen base and sacrifice fly. He played all of Sunday's game at second base.

Medeiros held Quad Cities to a four-run lead until the fifth inning, when Hyde hit a leadoff single to center field and went to second base on a wild pitch. Tanielu hit an infield single with a ground ball deep to the shortstop hole, and Gonzalez walked to load the bases. Medeiros was then removed for right-hander Josh Uhen, who struck out designated hitter Alex Hernandez and right fielder Ryan Bottger before allowing Trompiz's two-run single to center field. Medeiros was charged with six runs - five earned - on six hits and four walks with one strikeout in four innings and three batters of work. Uhen allowed two more runs in the sixth inning, when Ritchie and Fisher hit consecutive singles, Hyde hit his Midwest League-leading 12th double, and Gonzalez brought in a run with a groundout.

Following Musgrove, River Bandits left-hander Bryan Radziewski began the sixth inning with an 8-0 lead. Timber Rattlers shortstop Greggory Munoz hit a leadoff single before designated hitter Dustin DeMuth grounded into a double play. Catcher Carlos Leal then doubled to right-center field and scored his team's only run on third baseman Tucker Neuhaus' RBI single to cut the lead to 8-1. Radziewski allowed a single and two walks to load the bases in the seventh before striking out DeMuth to end the inning. He retired the final seven batters in order to earn his first Midwest League save. Quad Cities pitchers have allowed seven total runs in the last six games.

Timber Rattlers right-hander David Burkhalter worked the final three innings and did not give up a hit until two outs in the ninth inning, when Trompiz hit his first triple since 2013, and Boyd and Ritchie followed with consecutive RBI triples to make it 10-1.

Now 10-2 in road games this season, the River Bandits open a three-game series in Kane County at 6:30 p.m. Monday.

BANDITS RACE TO 3-0 LEAD, TOP TIMBER RATTLERS

First-place Quad Cities improves to 9-2 on the road and clinches fourth straight road series

GRAND CHUTE, Wis. (May 2, 2015) - Quad Cities River Bandits shortstop Mott Hyde had two doubles among a team-high three hits, and third baseman Nick Tanielu posted a season-high three RBIs on two doubles, including a two-run double in a three-run first inning that lifted his team to a 5-2 victory over the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers at Neuroscience Group Field at Fox Cities Stadium Saturday afternoon.

Before Saturday's Kentucky Derby, the River Bandits (17-6) had a fast start against Timber Rattlers left-hander Zach Hirsch (1-3). Center fielder Derek Fisher had a one-out infield single on a hard ground ball off the glove of Hirsch, and Hyde lined a double down the left-field line to put two runners in scoring position. Tanielu then smacked the first pitch he saw from Hirsch to left-center field, scoring Fisher and Hyde. After first baseman Jacob Nottingham's groundout moved Tanielu to third base, second baseman Alex Hernandez lined an RBI single into center field to make it 3-0. The three-run first inning was Quad Cities' largest opening inning in 11 road games this season.

Spotted a three-run lead before taking the mound, River Bandits right-hander Kevin Comer kept Wisconsin (8-15) scoreless for the first four innings. In the first inning, he allowed a one-out single to left fielder Mitch Meyer and issued a full-count walk to Milwaukee Brewers rehabbing second baseman Scooter Gennett, but designated hitter Sthervin Matos grounded to Hernandez who touched second base and threw to first base to end the inning. In the second inning, Hyde's two-out throwing error and a single by catcher Greg McCall put two runners on base before Comer struck out center fielder Monte Harrison. In the fourth inning, Comer allowed two singles to put runners at first and third bases with one out, but a strikeout by McCall and flyout by Harrison ended the inning.

Quad Cities added a run in the third inning, as Hyde doubled to left field and Tanielu doubled to left-center field on consecutive pitches from Hirsch to make it 4-0. Hyde's 11 doubles and 12 extra-base hits this season are both leading the Midwest League.

Wisconsin cut into the Quad Cities lead in the fifth inning, when shortstop Gregory Munoz hit a leadoff triple to center field, and Gennett brought him home with a sacrifice fly to left field. With two outs and the bases empty, Comer walked Matos and was removed from the game, as Quad Cities brought in left-hander Reymin Guduan (1-0) to make his Midwest League debut. Guduan began by allowing third baseman Tucker Neuhaus' RBI triple to right-center field before striking out right fielder Elvis Rubio to end the inning. Comer was charged with two earned runs on four hits and two walks with five strikeouts in 4 2/3 innings.

In the sixth inning, Guduan allowed a walk to first baseman David Denson and single by McCall before getting Harrison to ground into a double play and striking out Munoz. Guduan also got the first two batters in the eighth to work two scoreless innings with three strikeouts.

Hirsch lasted until the seventh inning, when right fielder Ryan Bottger hit a leadoff single into center field, left fielder Jason Martin sacrifice bunted him to second base, and a wild pitch moved him to third base before designated hitter Sean McMullen walked. Right-hander Gian Rizzo came in to face catcher Alfredo Gonzalez, who lined an RBI single into center field for a 5-2 Quad Cities lead. Hirsch was charged with all five earned runs on eight hits and one walk with five strikeouts in 6 1/3 innings.

River Bandits right-hander Eric Peterson pitched 2 1/3 scoreless innings for his second save. He allowed two singles in the eighth inning before Harrison grounded into his second double play. Wisconsin outhit Quad Cities for a second straight game and managed a hit in eight different innings, but the team went 0-for-9 with runners in scoring position and left 11 runners on base, including at least one every inning.

With its fifth straight road win, and fourth straight win overall, Quad Cities clinched a fourth straight road series to open the season and has its best record through 23 games since beginning 18-5 in 1992.

MARTIN, BANDITS SNEAK BY TIMBER RATTLERS, 2-1

Quad Cities pitchers keep Wisconsin from scoring over the final eight innings of series opener

GRAND CHUTE, Wis. (May 1, 2015) - In his Midwest League debut, Quad Cities River Bandits left fielder Jason Martin brought in both his team's runs with a fourth-inning, bases-loaded walk and a sixth-inning RBI single, and left-hander Chris Lee earned his first win of the season in a 2-1 victory over the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers at Neuroscience Group Field at Fox Cities Stadium Friday night.

Quad Cities (16-6) improved to 4-0 in road series openers and won its third straight game overall to open a season-high three-game lead for first place in the Western Division over Burlington (13-8), which lost in Peoria Friday night.

Despite managing only five hits in the series opener, the River Bandits drew eight walks with seven strikeouts on offense. Timber Rattlers right-hander Victor Diaz began the game with back-to-back walks to right fielder Bobby Boyd and first baseman Jamie Ritchie. But Diaz struck out center fielder Derek Fisher before getting designated hitter Mott Hyde to fly out and catcher Jacob Nottingham to ground into a fielder's choice. In the bottom of the first inning, rehabbing Milwaukee Brewers second baseman Scooter Gennett bounced a leadoff single into center field, went to second on a groundout and scored when third baseman Sthervin Matos lined a two-out RBI single to left-center field. It was the only run against Lee (1-2), who worked a season-high five innings, allowing six hits with no walks and four strikeouts.

In the second inning, Lee worked around a one-out double by catcher Carlos Leal with a groundout and strikeout. In the third inning, center fielder Monte Harrison reached on a one-out infield single and went to second base on a sacrifice, but Matos lined out to third baseman Kristian Trompiz to end the inning. In the fourth inning, Lee allowed back-to-back one-out singles to put runners at first and third bases but threw out a runner at home plate on a squeeze bunt attempt. In the fifth inning, Gennett reached first base when Ritchie came off the base to catch a throw, and Lee hit Matos with a two-out pitch before a groundout by designated hitter Tucker Neuhaus ended the inning.

Diaz kept the 1-0 lead for the home team until the fourth inning, when Hyde reached on Gennett's errant throw to first base and went to third base when Gennett missed shortstop Luis Aviles' throw to second base on a one-out ground ball hit by River Bandits second baseman Alex Hernandez. Trompiz worked a nine-pitch walk to load the bases before Martin drew a walk that brought Hyde home with the tying run. Diaz was then removed for left-hander Tyler Linehan, who got a strikeout and fielder's choice groundout to strand the bases loaded in a 1-1 tie. Diaz was charged with one unearned run on one hit and five walks with one strikeout in 3 1/3 innings.

After Linehan worked 1 1/3 scoreless innings, right-hander Mark Williams allowed Hyde's two-out triple in the fifth inning, before getting Nottingham to ground out to end the inning. The 1-1 tie remained for right-hander Cy Sneed (1-2), who began the sixth inning by allowing a single to Hernandez. With one out and Martin at bat, Hernandez stole second base and went to third base when Leal's throw went into center field. Two pitches later, with the infield in, Martin lined his first Midwest League hit to center field to score Hernandez for a 2-1 lead. Sneed escaped the inning after Martin was caught stealing, and the Timber Rattlers reliever went on keep Quad Cities scoreless the rest of the way on three walks and one hit - Fisher's two-out, ninth-inning triple past first baseman David Denson - over four innings.

River Bandits right-hander Keegan Yuhl began the sixth inning with a 2-1 lead. He allowed a leadoff single by right fielder Elvis Rubio but promptly picked Rubio off first base. Yuhl did not allow another hit until Neuhaus grounded a one-out double down the third-base line in the eighth inning. After Rubio flied out, right-hander Ryan Thompson entered with two outs and walked Leal before getting Denson as a pinch hitter to ground out. It was the only time Wisconsin put the tying run in scoring position against the Quad Cities bullpen. Thompson allowed a leadoff single in the ninth inning before striking out the next three batters for his first Midwest League save

BANDITS' POWER, PITCHING GAIN SERIES WIN

Derek Fisher hits his league-leading fifth home run, and Jacob Nottingham hits his fourth

DAVENPORT, Iowa (April 30, 2015) - Quad Cities River Bandits first baseman Jacob Nottingham hit a second-inning solo home run, center fielder Derek Fisher hit a third-inning, two-run home run, and right-hander Joshua James tossed four scoreless relief innings to earn the win in his team's 4-2, rubber match victory over the Cedar Rapids Kernels in front of 2,808 at Modern Woodmen Park Thursday night.

Finishing April with its best 21-game start since 2001, Quad Cities (15-6) maintained a two-game lead in first place of the Midwest League Western Division standings over Burlington (13-8). In the three games against Cedar Rapids, River Bandits pitchers allowed three runs - all unearned - in 29 innings.

On Thursday, Kernels center fielder Zack Granite led off the game against River Bandits right-hander Brock Dykxhoorn with a ground-ball double down the third-base line and went to third base when shortstop Nick Gordon grounded out. Dykxhoorn escaped the jam by striking out designated hitter Zack Larson and getting left fielder Trey Vavra on a popout caught by Nottingham along the first-base dugout railing.

In the second inning, Kernels right fielder Max Murphy hit a leadoff double to left-center field, but Dykxhoorn struck out third baseman T.J. White, and catcher Brett Doe lined out to third baseman Alex Hernandez. Dykxhoorn did not allow a Kernels runner in scoring position through the third and fourth innings, getting help from a double play.

Nottingham opened the scoring with one out in the bottom of the second inning, when he hammered a 3-0 pitch from right-hander John Curtiss (2-1) to the Miller Lite Party Deck in right field for his fourth home run of the season, which momentarily tied him with Fisher for the team and league lead. In the third inning, catcher Jamie Ritchie hit a one-out single and stole second base before Fisher ended an 11-pitch battle with Curtiss by sending his league-leading fifth home run over the right-center field wall for a 3-0 Quad Cities lead.

The Kernels (12-9) snapped a 13-inning scoreless streak by Quad Cities pitchers in the fifth inning. Doe led off with a double, and with one out left fielder Zack Granite grounded to second baseman Mott Hyde, whose errant throw allowed Granite to reach first base and Doe to score. With a 3-1 lead, Dykxhoorn was removed for right-hander Jose Montero. When Granite stole second base, Ritchie's throw went into center field, allowing Granite to reach third base, and Gordon's groundout scored Granite to cut the lead to 3-2. Both runs were unearned against Dykxhoorn, who allowed three hits and two walks with three strikeouts in 4 1/3 innings.

After Curtiss yielded three earned runs on five hits with four strikeouts in the first four innings, Kernels left-hander Sam Clay began the bottom of the fifth inning with a 3-2 deficit. Shortstop Kristian Trompiz worked a leadoff walk, and Clay's high school teammate and fellow Buford, Ga., native Jamie Ritchie lined an 0-2 single through the middle for his game-high third hit. A walk to Fisher loaded the bases, before designated hitter Nick Tanielu grounded out to second base to bring in Trompiz. Then Hyde, Clay's college teammate at Georgia Tech, drew a full-count walk to reload the bases before Clay got Nottingham to ground out and end the inning.

James (1-0) began the sixth inning with a 4-2 lead and allowed a leadoff infield single to the left side by Kernels first baseman Tyler Kuresa, who went to second base on a passed ball. But James responded by retiring the next 11 Kernels in order and 12 of 13 to finish the game. Doe was hit by a pitch with two outs in the ninth inning before James struck out second baseman Jonatan Hinojosa to end the game. James allowed only one hit and hit one batter while striking out five in four shutout innings.

BANDITS SHUT OUT KERNELS FOR GUARANTEED WIN

Quad Cities scores twice each in the sixth and seventh innings to force first rubber match of the season

DAVENPORT, Iowa (April 29, 2015) - One day after losing their first shutout of the season, the Quad Cities River Bandits notched their first shutout win, with right-handers Daniel Mengden and Austin Chrismon combining for a 4-0 victory over the Cedar Rapids Kernels on Guaranteed Win Night in front of 1,343 at Modern Woodmen Park Wednesday night.

With its quickest nine-inning home game of the season - two hours, seven minutes - Quad Cities (14-6) evened the three-game series against Cedar Rapids (12-8) and restored its Western Division first-place lead to two games over the Kernels and Burlington (12-8).

In his first start at Modern Woodmen Park, Mengden limited the Kernels to three hits and two walks with three strikeouts in five shutout innings. In the first inning, he worked around a two-out single by Kernels right fielder Zack Larson. In the second inning, he allowed a one-out single by third baseman T.J. White, but second baseman Pat Kelly grounded into an inning-ending double play - the first of three turned in the game by Quad Cities.

The River Bandits had their first scoring chance in the second inning against Kernels left-hander Mat Batts (2-1). Third baseman Nick Tanielu and designated hitter Jacob Nottingham began the inning with back-to-back singles to right field to put runners at first and third bases. Batts then struck out first baseman Bryan Muñiz and left fielder Jorge Martinez. When the latter's third strike went in the dirt, Nottingham ran toward second base, drawing a throw from catcher Brian Navarreto. Tanielu then ran from third base toward home, but shortstop Nick Gordon threw back to Navarreto to get Tanielu for the inning's final out.

Mengden went on to work around a walk in the third inning and single in the fourth inning. In the fifth inning, center fielder Tanner English drew a two-out walk but was thrown out trying to steal second base by catcher Alfredo Gonzalez.

In the sixth inning, Chrismon (2-1) allowed a leadoff single by left fielder Zack Granite before getting Gordon to ground into a double play. He walked Larson before getting an inning-ending popout. In the bottom of the inning, River Bandits shortstop Kristian Trompiz hit a leadoff fly ball down the right-field line that Larson appeared to lose in the sky, before it dropped inside the right-field line for a double. Center fielder Bobby Boyd then put a sacrifice to the third-base side of the pitcher's mound, where Batts fielded the ball and overthrew first base, allowing Trompiz to score and Boyd to reach second base. Gonzalez then sacrificed Boyd to third base, and with the infield in, second baseman Mott Hyde hit an RBI single to center field to make it 2-0.

In the seventh inning, Batts began by allowing consecutive singles to Nottingham and Muñiz, putting runners at first and third bases. Martinez then brought in Nottingham with a ground ball to the right of second base, where Muñiz avoided the tag of Kelly, who threw to first base for one out. Right fielder Ryan Bottger then grounded a double down the third-base line to score Muñiz for a 4-0 Quad Cities lead. Batts was removed after allowing four runs - three earned - on seven hits and one walk with six strikeouts in 6 1/3 innings.

Chrismon held the 4-0 lead without allowing a runner into scoring position in the final two innings. In the eighth, Granite hit a leadoff single before Gordon grounded into his second double play. In the ninth, White collected his game-high third hit with a two-out single before Chrismon struck out Kelly looking to end the game. Chrismon allowed four hits and two walks while striking out three batters in four innings. All seven Kernels hits were lone singles in seven different innings.