Dykxhoorn pitches a shutout into the sixth inning to help Quad Cities end season-high six-game skid
EASTLAKE, Ohio (August 16, 2015) - Quad Cities River Bandits All-Star third baseman Nick Tanielu had three hits, while center field Bobby Boyd had two hits, two runs, two RBIs and two stolen bases to help right-hander Brock Dykxhoorn become the team's first seven-game winner and snap a season-high six-game losing streak in a 6-2 win over the Lake County Captains at Classic Park Sunday afternoon.
After taking losses that ended the River Bandits' two 12-game winning streaks this season, Dykxhoorn (7-4) helped stop the club's longest losing streak in more than a year. In 5 1/3 innings, he struck out three batters and walked two. He had a two-hit shutout until a sixth-inning, one-out home run by Captains first baseman Bobby Bradley that scored Lake County's only two runs and ended Dykxhoorn's outing.
Boyd helped the River Bandits (30-19 second half, 75-42 overall) open the scoring in the second inning. He drew a one-out walk from Captains left-hander Sean Brady (7-9) and stole second base on the next pitch to first baseman Bryan Muñiz. On a 3-0 pitch to Muñiz, Boyd stole third base, and after catcher Martin Cervenka's errant throw to third base, Boyd scored the first run as Muñiz drew a walk.
While Brady kept the River Bandits to one run through five innings, Dykxhoorn retired the first seven Captains batters before second baseman Steven Patterson's third-inning, one-out bunt single. Dykxhoorn worked around a hit batter and walk in the fourth inning. In the fifth inning, Cervenka hit a two-out single and went to third base - the first Captains baserunner to reach that far - when the ball got past right fielder Ramon Laureano. But Dykxhoorn got center fielder Greg Allen to ground out to the mound to preserve the 1-0 lead.
In the sixth inning, Quad Cities chased Brady and made it 4-0. Tanielu hit a leadoff triple down the right-field line. After Brady struck out Laureano, right-hander Nick Pasquale entered and walked second baseman Jose Fernandez on four pitches. On a 1-1 pitch to Boyd, Fernandez ran to second base, drawing shortstop Yonathan Mendoza far enough to the base that Boyd's ground ball to Mendoza's back-hand side was an infield RBI single to score Tanielu. Muñiz added a double down the first-base line to score Fernandez and Boyd.
The Captains (23-24, 59-56) reached the scoreboard against Dykxhoorn in the sixth inning, when Murphy drew a leadoff walk, and Bradley went deep to right field for his Midwest League-leading 25th home run and fifth straight game with a home run. With a 4-2 lead, Dykxhoorn departed for right-hander Ryan Thompson, who began by hitting Mendoza and allowing a single by third baseman Grant Fink. With runners at first and third bases, Thompson got Valdez's bunt popup and struck out Patterson to end the inning.
The River Bandits answered the Captains' two-run sixth inning with a two-run seventh inning off Pasquale. Catcher Trent Woodward drew a leadoff walk, went to second base on left fielder Jason Martin's sacrifice and scored on Tanielu's RBI single to right field. A balk sent Tanielu to second base, and he scored when Boyd singled to center field for a 6-2 lead.
Thompson pitched a perfect seventh inning, but in the eighth inning, right-hander Riley Ferrell allowed a one-out single and consecutive two-out walks to load the bases. Right-hander Angel Heredia struck out Patterson to end the inning, and after a two-out single in the ninth inning, he earned his team-high seventh save. The win helped Quad Cities finish 11-11 against the Eastern Division in the regular season.
The River Bandits have their final scheduled off day Monday before 21 games in as many days to finish the regular season. Quad Cities opens a three-game home series with Wisconsin at Modern Woodmen Park at 7 p.m. Tuesday, when River Bandits right-hander Justin Ferrell (3-2) is scheduled to face Timber Rattlers right-hander Angel Ventura (6-5).
UP NEXT: All-you-can-ride amusements passes are just $10 each when gates open at 6 p.m. for Tuesday's 7 p.m. game. Dew for Twosday presented by Pepsi, WOC and Q106.5 means all regular tickets are Buy-One-Get-One Free, and fans may bring an old can of Mountain Dew to recycle at the box office to receive a voucher for a free 16 oz. Mountain Dew at the ballpark. 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 LOSE 6TH STRAIGHT WITH CAPTAINS' SHUTOUTQuad Cities outhits Lake County, 8-6, but goes scoreless for third time in four games
EASTLAKE, Ohio (August 15, 2015) - Right-hander Jordan Milbrath went six scoreless innings as the first of three Lake County Captains pitchers combining for an eight-hit shutout, and first baseman Bobby Bradley hit the first grand slam among his Midwest League-leading 24 home runs to hand the Quad Cities River Bandits their sixth straight loss in a 5-0 final at Classic Park Saturday night.
The River Bandits (29-19 second half, 74-42 overall) were shut out for the third time in four games and have lost six straight games for the first time since a similar skid July 30-Aug. 4, 2014. Lake County (23-24, 59-56) has held Quad Cities to one run in two games.
Milbrath (4-10) scattered six hits and one walk with five strikeouts in six innings. He only allowed Quad Cities to put two runners in scoring position simultaneously in the first inning. All-Star third baseman Nick Tanielu hit a two-out single to right field, and right fielder Drew Ferguson doubled to the right-field corner. But Milbrath got first baseman Bryan Muniz to pop out in foul territory to end the inning.
The next River Bandit to reach scoring position was when Muniz led off the fourth inning with a ground-rule double that bounced over the left-center field fence. Milbrath retired the next three batters to end the inning. Quad Cities put its last runner at third base in the sixth inning, when second baseman Jose Fernandez singled to right field with two outs and reached third base on Milbrath's errant pickoff throw. But Milbrath struck out designated hitter Ryan Bottger to end the inning.
The Captains broke the scoreless tie against River Bandits right-hander Joshua James in the third inning. Right fielder David Armendariz led off with a single to the shortstop hole, and designated hitter Grant Fink reached first base when Tanielu dropped a ground ball. After James struck out center fielder Greg Allen, he walked third baseman Taylor Murphy to load the bases. After left fielder Anthony Santander popped out to right field, Bradley batted in a scoreless tie with the bases loaded. Bradley sent James' 2-1 pitch to the batting cage building in right field - his second straight game with a home run against Quad Cities - for a 4-0 Captains lead. The home run off James was the first he had allowed since his Midwest League debut April 13 - a span of 94 2/3 innings. James only allowed one walk for the rest of his outing, and he finished five innings, allowing four unearned runs on two hits and three walks with four strikeouts.
Following James, right-hander Eric Peterson began the sixth inning and struck out four batters in two innings, but he allowed the final Captains run - and only earned run - in the seventh inning. Fink doubled to right-center field with one out, and Allen grounded a triple down the first-base line to score Fink for a 5-0 Lake County lead. Peterson completed the seventh inning, and right-hander Jorge Perez pitched a scoreless eighth inning with one hit and one walk.
The Captains' bullpen effort began with left-hander David Speer in the seventh inning. With one out, Speer walked shortstop Kristian Trompiz and allowed center fielder Bobby Boyd's single to left field. But Speer struck out left fielder Jason Martin and retired Tanielu on a flyout to center field.
Captains right-hander Luke Eubank began the eighth inning and struck out all three batters in that frame before working around a ninth-inning, one-out single by catcher Garrett Stubbs, who was the only River Bandit with two hits. Stubbs was left at second base as the last of 10 runners left on base by the River Bandits, who went 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position.
CAPTAINS SAIL PAST RIVER BANDITS FOR 7-1 WINLake County hits two home runs, while Quad Cities manages two hits in season-high fifth straight loss
EASTLAKE, Ohio (August 14, 2015) - Lake County Captains first baseman Bobby Bradley opened the scoring with his Midwest League-leading 23rd home run in the first inning, right fielder David Armendariz capped the night with his first Midwest League home run in the eighth inning, and Captains pitchers allowed two hits in a 7-1 win over the Quad Cities River Bandits at Classic Park Friday night.
The River Bandits (29-18 second half, 74-41 overall) snapped a scoreless string of 27 innings on offense but lost their fifth straight game for their longest losing streak since a six-game streak July 30-Aug. 4, 2014. Lake County (22-24, 58-56) tallied its first win against Quad Cities since July 21, 2013, during the last series between the teams at Classic Park.
Captains left-hander Anderson Polanco (8-6) allowed a first-inning, one-out walk to River Bandits center fielder Bobby Boyd before getting All-Star third baseman Nick Tanielu to ground into an inning-ending double play. That began a stretch of 10 straight batters Polanco retired through the fourth inning without allowing a hit.
In the bottom of the first inning, River Bandits right-hander Elieser Hernandez got the first two batters before walking left fielder Anthony Santander. Bradley then lifted a 1-0 pitch to the right-field berm for his league-leading 75th and 76th RBIs and a 2-0 Lake County lead.
The River Bandits' best chance to tie the game was in the fifth inning, when Polanco walked left fielder Jason Martin, and first baseman Ryan Bottger grounded a double - the first Quad Cities hit - under the glove of third baseman Grant Fink. Martin scored for the River Bandits' first run since the seventh inning Tuesday in Fort Wayne. After designated hitter Ramon Laureano grounded out, Polanco's balk moved Bottger to third base with catcher Garrett Stubbs batting. Stubbs walked to put runners at first and third bases, before Polanco struck out second baseman Luis Reynoso and shortstop Kristian Trompiz to the end the inning with the tying run at third base - the last time the visitors had a runner in scoring position. After a perfect sixth inning, Polanco was removed after allowing one earned run on one hit and three walks with three strikeouts in six innings.
After nearly losing their lead, the Captains extended it in the bottom of the fifth inning. Fink doubled to right-center field and scored after two consecutive balks by Hernandez. Center fielder Greg Allen then doubled to right field and stole third base. Designated hitter Taylor Murphy walked before Santander hit a sacrifice fly to left-center field, scoring Allen to make it 4-1. Hernandez was charged with four earned runs on four hits and three walks with one strikeout in five innings.
Lake County further added to its lead in the sixth inning against left-hander Zach Davis. Second baseman Ordomar Valdez drew a one-out walk, went to second base on Armendariz's groundout and scored on Fink's two-out triple past diving right fielder Drew Ferguson. After Allen walked, Murphy singled into left field to score Fink to make it 6-1. Armendariz added the final run with one out in the eighth inning against left-hander Steve Naemark. Lake County's seven runs were the most by a Quad Cities opponent in 21 games since July 21.
Following Polanco, Captains right-hander Delvi Francisco worked around a leadoff walk in the seventh inning and leadoff single by second baseman Luis Reynoso in the eighth inning. Right-hander Justin Garcia retired all three batters in the ninth inning.
