BANDITS STING BEES WITH 3-RUN 8TH INNING
Quad Cities earns its 27th comeback win of the season in series rubber match
BURLINGTON, Iowa (July 26, 2015) - In his first start since July 2, Brock Dykxhoorn threw five shutout innings, allowing three hits and striking out three, and a three-run top of the eighth inning lifted the Quad Cities River Bandits over the Burlington Bees by a score of 5-4 at Community Field Sunday afternoon.
Dykxhoorn, who left the game after five innings with a 2-0 lead, saw that lead erased by four runs by the Bees (12-19 second half, 47-53 overall) in their half of the sixth inning against reliever Joshua James (3-2).
Trailing 4-2, the River Bandits (18-13, 63-36) began their eighth-inning comeback after shortstop Alex Bregman began the inning with a ground ball misplayed by third baseman Erick Salcedo. First baseman Nick Tanielu followed with a walk, putting two on with nobody out against Burlington reliever Jacob Kopra (0-1). After right fielder Drew Ferguson struck out swinging, center fielder Ramon Laureano singled to load the bases with one out, knocking Kopra out of the game in favor of Bees closer Eduardo Paredes. Pitching for the second straight game, Paredes struggled initially, as right fielder Sean McMullen hit a ball to the warning track in right, more than deep enough to score Bregman from third and bring Quad Cities within one. With two outs, back-to-back RBI singles by catcher Trent Woodward and third baseman Luis Reynoso scored Tanielu and Laureano, respectively, putting the River Bandits ahead, 5-4.
The eighth inning erased a lead the Bees had built with a four-run sixth inning. Bees second baseman Tim Arakawa began Burlington's sixth-inning rally with a hit against James, followed by a fly ball to left off the bat of first baseman Nick Flair. The next three men all reached base for the Bees, beginning with a single by designated hitter Steven Mateo. Left fielder Trever Allen was hit by a pitch, loading the bases with one out for right fielder Natanael Delgado, who hit a ball to deep left-center field for a two-run, game-tying double. With Salcedo batting, James threw a wild pitch that allowed Delgado to advance to third and Allen to score for a 4-2 Burlington lead. After Salcedo struck out, the lead became two on a base hit by catcher Brandon Gildea.
Quad Cities had taken the game's first lead, wasting no time getting on the board in the first inning. Center fielder Bobby Boyd and Bregman each drew walks against Burlington starter Jake Jewell, with Boyd scoring on Tanielu's single, the 47th RBI of the season for the Quad Cities All-Star. The Bandits' second run came in a bases-loaded, no-out situation in the fourth inning. Ferguson led off with a single before Laureano, attempting to sacrifice the runner over, reached on a bunt single, and McMullen was hit on the foot by Jewell to load the bases for Woodward, who bounced into a double play to short, scoring the runner from third in the process for a 2-0 River Bandits lead.
After Quad Cities regained the lead in the eighth inning, Angel Heredia pitched spotless innings in both the eighth and ninth innings, striking out three batters to record his fifth save of the year.
After a Midwest League-wide off day Monday, the River Bandits will finish their road stretch with three games in Beloit beginning Tuesday. River Bandits right-hander Christian Powell (2-1, 2.53) is scheduled to face Snappers right-hander Junior Mendez (3-7, 5.10).
UP NEXT: Vote now until Monday for the Quad Cities River Bandits in the Quad-City Times Readers' Choice Awards. The River Bandits are up for Best Entertainment Venue, Best Family Entertainment, Best Place for a Kid's Birthday Party, and Best Place to Take Out of Town Guest. 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' LATE RALLY FALLS SHORT, AS BEES TRIUMPH, 4-3Strong, timely pitching holds Quad Cities away from victory
BURLINGTON, Iowa (July 25, 2015) - Burlington Bees starter Austin Robichaux shut out the Quad Cities River Bandits for the first six innings, and Bees right fielder Trever Allen was 3-for-4 and drove in three runs in his team's 4-3 win at Community Field Saturday night.
The one-run margin of victory for Burlington (12-18 second half, 47-52 overall) marked the second straight game and seventh this season decided by one run between the Bees and River Bandits (17-13, 62-36) in their first 16 meetings this season.
Robichaux (8-6) earned his second win in three starts against Quad Cities by pitching six-plus innings, allowing one run on three hits while striking out two and walking four. Robichaux departed after allowing a hit and two walks to the first three batters in the seventh inning.
Burlington got on the board against Quad Cities starter Elieser Hernandez (0-1) in the third inning on a rally started by a one-out single by center fielder Ayendy Perez. Second baseman Tim Arakawa singled, advancing Perez to third. First baseman Nick Flair then hit a fly ball to right that was caught by Drew Ferguson, but deep enough to score Perez from third. Catcher Wade Wass followed with a walk, advancing Arakawa to second. Allen singled home Arakawa on a base hit to center field to double the Bees' lead to 2-0. The runs off Hernandez were the first the right-hander had allowed after 22 1/3 consecutive scoreless innings dating back to a June 29 outing in the Short-Season Class-A New York-Penn League with the Tri-City ValleyCats.
Burlington doubled its lead in the fifth inning against Hernandez on a one-out single by Wass and a home run by Allen - his fourth of the season - off the top of the second tier of signage in left field. Hernandez, who struck out three batters in his first two innings, allowed one hit in each of the first, second, and fourth innings, despite his struggles in the third and fifth.
Ryan Thompson finished the fifth inning for the River Bandits, and pitched 2 2/3 innings for Quad Cities, allowing no runs on one hit. Riley Ferrell threw a perfect eighth inning with a strikeout.
The River Bandits were able to knock out Robichaux with their rally in the top of the seventh, forcing the right-hander out of the game with the bases loaded and nobody out. However, reliever Jordan Piche got catcher Garrett Stubbs to ground into a double play, crippling the rally and limiting Quad Cities to just one run on the play. Second baseman Kristian Trompiz followed with a groundout to shortstop that ended the inning after only one run had scored.
The game tightened in the eighth inning on a two-out rally by the River Bandits, starting with a two-out walk to shortstop Alex Bregman and capped by a booming home run to left by All-Star third baseman Nick Tanielu, making it a one-run game. With fresh life and a tie game in sight, Ferguson singled down the right-field line and was thrown out trying to reach second base, ending the inning. Burlington closer Eduardo Paredes pitched a perfect ninth inning for his 18th save of the year.
PAULINO, BANDITS BULLPEN COMBINE TO SHUT OUT BEES
First-inning run is enough to vault Quad Cities to series-opening win
BURLINGTON, Iowa (July 24, 2015) - Quad Cities River Bandits starter David Paulino pitched 6 2/3 innings of shutout baseball, striking out six and allowing three hits and three walks, and a two-out rally in the first inning capped by an RBI single by designated hitter Ramon Laureano was all the team needed in a 1-0 win over the Burlington Bees Friday night at Community Field.
Paulino (3-2) has shut out the opponent in all three of his wins with Quad Cities (17-12 second half, 62-35 overall), and has not allowed a run in five of his seven starts between Quad Cities and Short Season Class-A Tri-City this year. Prior to Friday, he pitched seven scoreless innings in his latest start Sunday against Cedar Rapids. Zach Davis, who was called up Friday from Tri-City, pitched one inning in his Midwest League debut, and Eric Peterson went the final 1 1/3 innings for his fifth save of the season.
The River Bandits shut out Burlington (11-18, 46-52) by a 1-0 score for the second time at Community Field this season and pitched their 10th shutout of the season - the most for the club since pitching 11 shutouts in 2010.
With two outs in the top of the first inning, shortstop Alex Bregman drew a walk on five pitches from Bees starter Justin Anderson (6-8). All-Star third baseman Nick Tanielu followed with a base hit to right field that advanced Bregman to third. With runners on the corners, Laureano looped a ball into right that dropped in front of All-Star right fielder Natanael Delgado, scoring the first and only run of the game.
The Bees had one man reach base in each of the first four innings against Paulino, including the leadoff batter in both the first and third, but solid pitching and great defense, including a diving catch in left-center field by center fielder Bobby Boyd helped keep Burlington off of the board. The Bees' best threat came in the fifth inning against Paulino after Delgado singled up the middle for the Bees' first hit. Center fielder Ayendy Perez reached on a fielder's choice and then stole second base with Burlington second baseman Tim Arakawa batting. After Arakawa struck out, shortstop Jake Yacinich reached on an infield single, advancing Perez to third and putting runners on the corners with two down, but Paulino struck out left fielder Trever Allen to end the opportunity.
Burlington had one last chance in the ninth inning, starting with a leadoff single by third baseman Zach Houchins, who was lifted for pinch-runner Erick Salcedo. Designated hitter Trevor Gretzky was able to bunt Salcedo into scoring position with one out. After catcher Wade Wass struck out looking, with Delgado hitting, Salcedo was able to steal third, but Delgado struck out swinging to end the game.
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