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).
