Carlos Correa hits ninth home run of the season in opener between playoff-bound clubs

DAVENPORT, Iowa (AUG. 31, 2013) - Quad Cities River Bandits shortstop Carlos Correa gave his team a 4-2 lead with a fifth-inning home run Saturday night, but the Beloit Snappers pitchers set down the next 13 batters, and Snappers right fielder John Wooten and first baseman Matt Olson each homered in a 5-4 comeback victory in front of 5,126 at Modern Woodmen Park.

In the first game of the final regular season series for two playoff-bound clubs, Quad Cities (41-26 second half, 79-57 overall) had its four-game winning streak snapped and lost its last seventh straight game against Beloit (34-33, 77-60) at Modern Woodmen Park. The River Bandits last defeated Beloit in Davenport on Aug. 19, 2012.

Quad Cities took the lead in the first inning, as second baseman Tony Kemp singled to right field, and center fielder Teoscar Hernandez doubled to left. Two batters later, left fielder Danry Vasquez grounded out to bring in Kemp for a 1-0 lead.

In his first start since July 4, River Bandits right-hander Juan Minaya did not allow a hit until a third-inning, two-out single by left fielder Aaron Shipman. In the fourth inning, Snappers shortstop Daniel Robertson hit an infield single before Minaya picked up his fourth and fifth strikeouts. Wooten then hit a 1-2 pitch to the Built Ford Tough Deck in right field for his 20^th home run and a 2-1 Beloit lead. Minaya retired the next four batters to complete five innings, allowing two earned runs on three hits with one walk and five strikeouts.

In the bottom of the fifth, catcher Jobduan Morales and right fielder Jordan Scott drew consecutive walks against right-hander Dylan Covey (1-1), who threw a wild pitch to advance both runners into scoring position. After Covey fanned Kemp and Hernandez, Correa ripped a soaring liner to the Modern Woodmen Berm in left field for a three-run home run - his first since Aug. 9. Covey struck out Vasquez to finish five innings with five hits allowed, four earned runs, three walks and four strikeouts.

With a 4-2 lead, right-hander Richard Rodriguez (0-1) started the top of the sixth inning by allowing a double to designated hitter Ryan Mathews and single to shortstop Daniel Robertson. With one out, Olson drilled a ball over the right field fence for his team-high 23^rd home run and a 5-4 Snappers lead. Rodriguez came back to retire 11 of the next 13 batters to finish a season-high four innings, while yielding four hits, three earned runs and one walk with three strikeouts.

Three Snappers relievers were perfect after Covey. Right-haner Sam Bragg struck out one batter in the sixth inning, and right-hander Nolan Sanburn struck out two batters while retiring all six he faced in the seventh and eighth innings. Right-hander Tyler Vail struck out one batter in a perfect ninth inning for his seventh save. Quad Cities had just five hits, and each team left only left three runners on base.

Quad Cities continues its final regular season series against Beloit at Modern Woodmen Park at 5 p.m. Sunday. River Bandits left-hander Josh Hader (2-0) is scheduled to face Snappers right-hander Kyle Finnegan (1-0).

UP NEXT: Arthur & D.W. will be at Modern Woodmen Park for the final Flat Screen Family Sunday, when three lucky fans will win new flat-screen TVs. Gates open at 3:30 p.m. for Bark in the Park, and as part of Fan Appreciation Weekend, the River Bandits players will sign autographs on the field at approximately 35 minutes before the 5 p.m. game. Kids Run the Bases after the game. Single-game tickets are on sale at the River Bandits box office at Modern Woodmen Park, by phone at  563-324-3000 and online at www.riverbandits.com. Season ticket and mini-plan packages start at just seven games and begin at less than $50. Call a River Bandits account representative today to choose your seats and get the details of our various mini-plan packages.

Governor's Key State of the State Priority Would Increase Minimum Wage from $8.25 to $10

CHICAGO - On this Labor Day holiday, Governor Pat Quinn today honored workers across Illinois by visiting Chicago's historic Fellowship Missionary Baptist Church to continue his ongoing fight to raise Illinois' minimum wage from $8.25 to $10. Governor Quinn made raising the minimum wage one of his priorities in his 2013 State of the State address and today's visit furthers his commitment to ensuring all Illinois workers are treated fairly and receive the compensation they deserve.

"No one in Illinois should work 40 hours a week and live in poverty," Governor Quinn said. "There is no better way to honor hard-working men and women across Illinois by raising the minimum wage. As we honor Illinois' workers this Labor Day, we should also remember the words of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., who said 'it's always the right time to do the right thing'."

At the church once visited by Dr. King in 1964, Governor Quinn - a longtime advocate of a higher minimum wage - noted that a full-time minimum wage worker in Illinois makes around $16,600 annually, which is well below the Federal Poverty Threshold of $23,550 for a family of four.

"If we want to fight poverty, curb crime and revitalize our neighborhoods, the best way to do it is with jobs," Governor Quinn said. "Increasing the minimum wage will ensure that many Illinois workers get a fair day's wages for a fair day's work and can pull themselves from poverty."

The Illinois minimum wage ($8.25) - which hasn't been increased since 2010 - is less than half of the average U.S. hourly wage ($19.97) and far less than the typical CEO's hourly pay ($3,072 per hour, according to an Associated Press analysis). By increasing the Illinois minimum wage to $10, a half-million Illinois consumers will make an extra $4,800 a year and much of that extra income will typically be spent at local businesses on food, clothing and furniture.

Currently, 19 states and the District of Columbia have raised their minimum wages higher than $7.25 per hour, which is the current federal rate.

In August, Governor Quinn signed three laws that fight questionable practices in order to protect Illinois workers' paychecks. House Bill 2649, House Bill 923 and House Bill 3125 deal with the misclassification of workers and the attempts of employers to avoid paying state employment taxes and premiums.

Washington, D.C.  Congressman Dave Loebsack released the following statement today following the President's speech on the situation in Syria.  As a member of the House Armed Services Committee, Loebsack has received a briefing from the White House regarding the ongoing situation.

"I have called on the President to seek congressional authorization but more importantly, before any action is taken, the administration must make the case to the American people and the American people must support it. As a member of the House Armed Services Committee, I was briefed by the White House and believe the Administration must lay out their strategic reasoning behind military action, define the national security reasoning for such action, and establish an end goal for potential use of force.

"The use of chemical weapons against civilians is morally reprehensible and should be unequivocally condemned by the international community. However, after more than a decade of war during which time our troops and military families have made great sacrifices on our behalf, we must exercise extreme caution in undertaking military action."

Quad Cities finishes 6-1 road trip with first road series sweep since the season-opening series

GRAND CHUTE, Wis. (AUG. 30, 2013) - Quad Cities River Bandits right-hander Zach Morton and left-handers Mitchell Lambson and J.D. Osborne combined to shut out the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers, 6-0, and eliminate the defending Midwest League Champions from postseason contention Friday night at Time Warner Cable Field at Fox Cities Stadium.

Quad Cities (41-25 second half, 79-56 overall) finished its regular season road schedule with its first sweep of a road series since a season-opening four-game sweep at Kane County April 4-7. The River Bandits finished 6-1 in their seven-game road trip and went 40-29 on the road in the regular season. Wisconsin (30-37, 59-73) dropped out of contention with the loss and an earlier win by Clinton (33-34, 66-70), which grabbed the final playoff spot in the second half and will face Beloit in the Western Division semifinals next week. Quad Cities has clinched a playoff spot and will open with Cedar Rapids at 7 p.m. Wednesday at Modern Woodmen Park.

Morton worked around three hits in the first two innings to keep the game scoreless. In the third inning, Timber Rattlers right-hander Rodolfo Fernandez (4-4) allowed a leadoff single by second baseman Tony Kemp and a bunt single by center fielder Teoscar Hernandez. Fernandez tried to make a play but threw wild to first base, allowing Kemp to reach third. With no outs, shortstop Carlos Correa grounded into a double play, bringing Kemp home with an unearned run for a 1-0 lead.

In the fourth inning, Fernandez issued a bases-empty, two-out walk to catcher Jobduan Morales. Right fielder Jordan Scott reached on a ground ball misplayed by second baseman Chris McFarland, and Kemp drew a walk to load the bases, before Fernandez hit Hernandez with a pitch to make it 2-0. Correa, named Friday as a Midwest League Postseason All-Star then grounded a two-run single through the right side for a 4-0 lead, and left fielder Terrell Joyce grounded a single through the left side to extend the lead to 5-0.

Morton worked around a walk in the third and an error in the fourth to complete four scoreless innings, allowing three hits and one walk while striking out one. Lambson (8-3) started the bottom of the fifth inning and retired eight of the first nine batters he faced. A two-out, seventh-inning single by second baseman Chris McFarland snapped Lambson's team-best streak of 11 1/3 consecutive hitless innings. Lambson finished three innings, allowing one hit and one walk with three strikeouts. Osborne made his Midwest League debut starting the bottom of the eighth inning, and after bobbling a comeback ground ball and allowing an infield single, he retired the final four batters of the game, including the last two on strikeouts. Quad Cities had its first shutout since Aug. 11 and sixth of the season.

Friday's victory also means The Captain's Table at 4801 River Drive in Moline will offer The Captain's Table Victory Discount Saturday, Aug. 31. Anyone who mentions the River Bandits victory can receive a free appetizer or dessert with the purchase of two lunches or dinners with beverages on Saturday, Aug. 31.

Quad Cities begins its final regular season series against Beloit at Modern Woodmen Park at 7 p.m. Saturday. River Bandits right-hander Juan Minaya (3-6) is scheduled to face Snappers right-hander Dylan Covey (0-1).