PERDOMO'S 8 SHUTOUT INNINGS BEAT BANDITS
Peoria wins, 7-1, to deny Quad Cities a sweep of four-game, split-city series
PEORIA, Ill. (July 5, 2015) - Peoria Chiefs All-Star right-hander Luis Perdomo matched a career high with eight shutout innings and struck out eight Quad Cities River Bandits, while first baseman Alex De Leon hit a two-run home run to begin the home team's scoring in the second inning of a 7-1 win that avoided a four-game, split-city series sweep by the River Bandits at Dozer Park Sunday afternoon.
Perdomo (4-7) yielded one walk and five singles without allowing a baserunner to reach third base. Only two reached second base in the first eight innings for Quad Cities (7-4 second half, 52-27 overall). After center fielder Bobby Boyd's leadoff single to center field in the first inning, Perdomo retired seven straight batters. Third baseman Luis Reynoso hit a third-inning, one-out single to right field, but Perdomo again responded by retiring seven in a row. Second baseman Alex Hernandez singled to left field in the fifth inning, followed by Perdomo setting down five batteres in order. In the seventh inning with one out, right fielder Sean McMullen put a bunt single to the third-base side of the pitcher's mound, and shortstop Kristian Trompiz added a two-out single, but Hernandez flied out to center field, and Perdomo finished his outing by retiring the last four batters he faced.
Peoria (4-7, 37-42) took the lead for the first time in the four-game series in the bottom of the second inning against River Bandits right-hander Brandon McNitt (1-3). Right fielder Nick Thompson led off with a single to center field, and De Leon drove a ball to the top of the left-center-field wall, scoring Thompson. Base umpire Tyler Olson initially ruled the ball did not go over the yellow line at the top of the fence, but upon conference with home plate umpire Brock Ballou, the pair overturned the initial call, awarding De Leon his seventh home run and Peoria a 2-0 lead. Catcher Luis Cruz immediately followed with single to right field and went to second base when left fielder Kenny Peoples-Walls walked with one out. Center fielder Jhohan Acevedo chopped a single into center field to score Cruz, and second baseman Andrew Sohn added an RBI single to left field for a 4-0 lead. All-Star shortstop Oscar Mercado grounded a single to Trompiz in the shortstop hole - the sixth hit of the inning - but Hernandez caught Trompiz's throw at second base and threw to Reynoso at third base for the inning-ending tag of Acevedo.
The Chiefs added to their 4-0 lead in the fourth inning, when third baseman Jake Gronsky walked and Peoples-Walls doubled to left field, putting two runners in scoring position. Acevedo lifted a sacrifice fly to center field, and designated hitter Darren Seferina grounded an RBI single down the third-base line for a 6-0 edge.
McNitt also allowed the final Peoria run in the sixth inning. Peoples-Walls reached on Reynoso's throwing error, Seferina walked, and a wild pitch advanced both baserunners. With the infield in, Sohn grounded to Trompiz, whose initial bobble gave him only a play at first base, so Peoples-Walls scored his game-high third run without a throw. In a career-high six innings, McNitt also allowed career highs of seven runs, six earned runs, nine hits and five walks, which set a season high by a River Bandits pitcher.
Following McNitt, right-hander Eric Peterson struck out three batters in two perfect innings. Chiefs right-hander Kyle Grana began the ninth inning with the 7-0 lead and retired the first two batters. But the River Bandits - who had lost a home shutout bid with two outs in the ninth inning Friday against Peoria - denied the Chiefs a combined shutout with two outs in the ninth inning. Grana hit catcher Trent Woodward, Trompiz walked and Mercado misplayed Hernandez's one-hop ground ball, which reached left-center field and allowed Woodward to score. Reynoso then flied out to right field to close Peoria's fourth win in 14 meetings with Quad Cities this season.
The River Bandits begin their second consecutive four-game, split-city series by hosting Clinton for two games Monday and Tuesday. River Bandits right-hander David Paulino (0-1) is scheduled to face LumberKings right-hander Tyler Herb (4-4) at 7 p.m. Monday.
UP NEXT: Gates open at 6 p.m. on Military Monday presented by Performance Food Group, 97X and ESPN 93.5. All veterans and active military can show a military ID at the box office to purchase $1 bleacher tickets to the 7 p.m. game for themselves and up to three guests. 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.
LAUREANO'S BLAST BEATS FIREWORKS, CHIEFS
River Bandits move 26 games above .500 for the first time since the end of the 2010 season
PEORIA, Ill. (July 4, 2015) - Quad Cities River Bandits outfielder Ramon Laureano hit a three-run, go-ahead home run in the top of the 11th inning, two minutes before a Fourth of July fireworks show began over the Illinois River in downtown Peoria beyond the first-base side of Dozer Park, and with fireworks continuing, the visitors won an 8-5, 11-inning final over the Peoria Chiefs Saturday night.
Shortstop Alex Bregman and All-Star third baseman Nick Tanielu each had three hits to help the River Bandits (7-3 second half, 52-26 overall) win their third straight game and move 26 games above .500 for the first time since finishing 28 games above .500 (83-55) in 2010. Among the affiliates of all 30 major league organizations, only the Houston Astros Double-A Corpus Christi Hooks (53-26 in the Texas League) had a better record than Quad Cities through Saturday. The River Bandits won for the 10th time in 13 games this season against Peoria (3-7, 36-42) and has not trailed in the first three games of the current series with the Chiefs.
Quad Cities took its first lead in the second inning against Chiefs left-hander Dewin Perez. Designated hitter Trent Woodward singled to left field with one out, and center fielder Bobby Boyd drew the first of his career-high three walks. With two outs, All-Star catcher Jamie Ritchie drew his Midwest League-leading 66th walk to load the bases, and Bregman laced a two-run double down the left-field line for a 2-0 lead. Peoria immediately tied the game in the next half-inning against River Bandits right-hander Christian Powell. First baseman Adam Ehrlich and left fielder Kenny Peoples-Walls hit consecutive one-out singles, and center fielder Jhohan Acevedo walked to load the bases before second baseman Darren Seferina lined a two-run, game-tying single to left field.
In a 2-2 tie in the top of the third inning, Laureano doubled to left field to extend his career-high nine-game hitting streak. Third baseman Kristian Trompiz and Woodward both drew walks to load the bases, and Boyd grounded a two-run double down the first-base line to make it 4-2. Perez walked second baseman Luis Reynoso to reload the bases, and right-hander Cody Schumacher entered to allow Ritchie's sacrifice fly to right field for a 5-2 margin. Perez allowed five earned runs on six hits and five walks with one strikeout in 2 1/3 innings.
The Chiefs rallied within 5-4 against Powell in the fifth inning. Powell hit designated hitter Andrew Sohn, shortstop Oscar Mercado singled, and right fielder Nick Thompson doubled off the left-center field wall to score two runs. Powell preserved the lead with a strikeout, groundout and lineout to finish five innings, allowing four earned runs on seven hits and two walks with five strikeouts.
Following Powell, right-hander Jorge Perez kept the 5-4 lead by stranding two runners in the sixth inning, but in the eighth inning, the Chiefs evened the score and had their best chance to take the lead. Perez hit Acevedo with one out, Seferina reached on Trompiz's error at second base, and Sohn lined a game-tying double to left field, ending Perez's outing after allowing one earned run on four hits with two strikeouts in 2 1/3 innings. Right-hander Angel Heredia (3-1) entered with one out, the infield in and runners at second and third bases in a 5-5 tie. Mercado lined a 3-2 pitch to Bregman, who threw to All-Star third baseman Nick Tanielu to double off Seferina and end the inning with the tie. Heredia allowed one walk in the final 3 2/3 hitless innings and has not allowed a hit in his last nine innings since June 20.
The pivotal top of the 11th inning began with Bregman walking against right-hander Robby Rowland (2-3) and Tanielu hitting a single to left field. Bregman ran to third base on the play, drawing a throw that allowed Tanielu to reach second base. With the infield in, Rowland struck out Bottger before Laureano set a career high of three RBIs with one swing that sent a drive to the berm beyond the left-field fence.
BANDITS ROUT CHIEFS BEFORE RECORD-SETTING CROWD
Quad Cities hosts largest home crowd in six years, has zero strikeouts at the plate for first time in eight seasons
DAVENPORT, Iowa (July 4, 2015) - Quad Cities River Bandits right-hander Francis Martes struck out a career-high 10 batters in six innings Friday night, while his team's offense had 12 hits, eight walks and zero strikeouts - the fewest for the club in eight seasons - in a 9-1 win over the Peoria Chiefs in front of 7,403 - the largest crowd at Modern Woodmen Park in exactly six years.
Martes (2-2) has not allowed a run in his last 11 2/3 innings for Quad Cities (6-3 second half, 51-26 overall), which matched a season high by moving 25 games above .500. Martes combined with right-handers Riley Ferrell and Ryan Thompson to keep the Chiefs (3-6, 36-41) scoreless until two outs in the ninth inning, when three straight singles ended the River Bandits pitching staff's scoreless streak at 21 innings. Martes faced the minimum in the first three innings, striking out four batters and getting help from a second-inning double play turned by shortstop Alex Bregman, who turned two double plays in the game and had his first career three-hit game.
Bregman and River Bandits All-Star catcher Jamie Ritchie each had three hits and three runs scored, and they began the rallies in each of the three innings the River Bandits scored. In a scoreless game entering the bottom of the third inning, Ritchie led off by drawing his Midwest League-leading 65th walk against Chiefs right-hander and former River Bandit Jhonny Polanco (1-2). Bregman singled to left field, before left fielder Jason Martin singled to right field to score Ritchie and send Bregman to third base, while Martin went to second base on the throw to home plate. All-Star third baseman Nick Tanielu then lifted a sacrifice fly to left field for a 2-0 lead. Polanco later hit designated hitter Sean McMullen and walked first baseman Ryan Bottger to load the bases. That brought in right-hander Nick Frey, whose first pitch center fielder Bobby Boyd grounded into center field, scoring Martin and McMullen for a 4-0 lead. The inning ended with Bottger thrown out at third base. Polanco was charged with four earned runs on three hits and five walks in 2 2/3 innings.
In the bottom of the fourth inning, Ritchie and Bregman hit consecutive one-out singles to left field, and Frey's wild pitch put both in scoring position. After Martin drew an intentional walk, Tanielu hit his second sacrifice fly to center field to score Ritchie and move Bregman to third base. Laureano followed with an RBI single to left field, scoring Bregman for a 6-0 lead and extending Laureano's career-best eight-game hitting streak. But left fielder Kenny Peoples-Walls threw out Martin at home plate to end the inning.
The Chiefs put runners in scoring position twice against Martes. In the fourth inning, Martes allowed a walk and single before retiring three straight batters to end the inning. In the sixth inning, a one-out walk and single put runners at first and third bases, but right fielder Nick Thompson's line drive struck baserunner Andrew Sohn for the second out, and Martes finished the inning with his 10th strikeout.
The River Bandits added three runs in the bottom of the sixth against right-hander Anderson Gerdel, as Ritchie, Bregman and Martin began with three straight singles to bring in one run, and Laureano and Bottger each had RBI singles to build a 9-0 lead. That remained through Ferrell's two scoreless innings and Thompson's ninth inning until three straight two-out singles by catcher Steve Bean, third baseman Jake Gronsky and first baseman Adam Ehrlich provided Peoria's first run in the series, but Thompson got a game-ending groundout.
Quad Cities had 11 singles among its 12 hits and did not strike out in a game for the first time since July 8, 2007, when Beloit pitchers failed to strike out a Quad Cities batter over eight innings in a 9-4 Quad Cities home win. Friday's attendance was the second-largest at home for Quad Cities since the start of the 2002 season and the largest since a crowd of 7,538 on July 3, 2009.
