18
Jul
2017
Quad Cities loses series for the first time in second half
COMSTOCK PARK, Mich. - The Quad Cities River Bandits fell Monday, 6-2, to the West Michigan Whitecaps in the rubber match and series finale at Fifth Third Ballpark. The loss marks the first series dropped by the Bandits in the second half of the season. Troy Sieber had the only RBI in the game for Quad Cities, who dropped the final two games of the series. It's the first time the Bandits have lost the season series to West Michigan since 2012.
The River Bandits (17-8. 54-39) started the scoring in the first inning when Osvaldo Duarte doubled to lead off the game and later scored on a fielding error by West Michigan (18-7, 63-28) during a run down between third and home. The Whitecaps tied it on an RBI-single by Zac Shepherd in the home first.
That tie be broken by Cole Bauml with a two-out, two-run single in the fifth inning. Bauml had four RBI in the game to lead the offense for West Michigan. Yohan Ramirez (2-2) took the loss, allowing three runs on five hits in five innings while striking out four and walking three. Anthony Castro (7-2) got the win for five innings of work, allowing one unearned run on three hits and a walk while striking out four.
Sieber's single plated Chuckie Robinson in the sixth to get a run back but Sieber was thrown out trying to stretch a double, which halted the rally. West Michigan answered with three seventh-inning runs, capped by a Bauml two-run double, to pull away for the win.
The Bandits loaded the bases in the eighth with nobody out, but a double play cut the run down at the plate and a strikeout ended the inning without a run scoring for the Bandits. Quad Cities went just 1-for-11 with runners in scoring position in the loss.
The River Bandits finish their six-game trip to the Eastern Division with a 3-3 record and return home for the back half of interdivision play on Wednesday to host the Lansing Lugnuts for a three-game series, kicking off a six-game homestand. Wednesday's first pitch is set for 6:35 p.m. CT with gates opening for a Winning Wednesday at 5:35 at Modern Woodmen Park. If you can't make it to the game, join Jake Levy and Connor Onion for the live broadcast on 1170 AM K-BOB and TuneIn radio; simulcast on MiLB.TV.
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