Comeback win clinches Western Division title
Bandits lock up division crown with 9-6 win Sunday
DAVENPORT, Iowa -- The Quad Cities River Bandits erased an early five-run deficit for a 9-6 win over the Cedar Rapids Kernels Sunday afternoon to clinch the second half Western Division crown in front of 3,101 fans at Modern Woodmen Park. Chuckie Robinson led the comeback with a three-run home run while Salvador Montano and Carlos Sanabria combined to allow just one run over the final seven innings on the mound.
The Bandits (41-22. 78-53) were shell-shocked by five quick Kernels (32-31, 71-62) runs over the first two innings. Travis Blankenhorn crushed a solo home run as part of the early onslaught. Robinson's 15th homer of 2017 started the comeback and then Abraham Toro went back-to-back with his ninth homer of the season to get Quad Cities within one. The Bandits then took the lead on RBI singles by Chas McCormick and Luis Payano in the fifth inning. Daz Cameron's second hit of the game drove in an insurance run in the sixth and then Toro singled home another run to round out the scoring.
Montano (8-3) hurled three scoreless innings, stranding the bases loaded in the fifth, and allowed two hits and two walks while striking out five Kernels. Tyler Beardsley (4-8) allowed seven runs on nine hits and three walks while striking one out in 4.1 innings to suffer the loss. Sanabria earned his second save of the year, allowing one run on five hits in four innings with four strikeouts and three walks. Yohan Ramirez allowed the five runs over two innings, but gets no decision thanks to the comeback.
The Bandits can take the series, earn a split of the 2017 season series with Cedar Rapids, and clinch the best record in the Western Division for the full 2017 season with a win in Monday's series finale. First pitch is set for 6:35 p.m. CDT and gates open at 5:35 for a Beers and Brats Monday. Patrick Sandoval (2-2, 4.60) gets the start for Quad Cities against Bryan Sammons (2-1, 4.86) for the Kernels. The live radio broadcast is available with Jake Levy on 1170 AM K-BOB, riverbandits.com and the TuneIn app.
BANDITS OUT-DUEL KERNELS, CLINCH HOME FIELD
Bandits will be top seed in first round of the 2017 Midwest League playoffs
DAVENPORT, Iowa -- The Quad Cities River Bandits got 16 strikeouts between Cristian Javier and Kit Scheetz in a 1-0 win over the Cedar Rapids Kernels Saturday night in front of 6,378 fans at Modern Woodmen Park. Javier went five scoreless frames, allowing just one hit, while Scheetz pitched the last four frames of the shutout. Wander Franco singled home the game's only run with two outs in the second. With the win, the Bandits clinch home-field advantage in the first round of the playoffs.
The Bandits (40-22, 77-53) and Kernels (32-30, 71-62) have now split the first two of the four-game series at Modern Woodmen Park. Javier (2-0) got the win, striking out ten over five scoreless innings with one hit and one walk while Scheetz (S, 1) allowed two hits and struck out six over four frames for his first save. The 16 combined strikeouts were one shy of the River Bandits season high. Tyler Wells (5-3) allowed one run on four hits and three walks while striking out four to suffer the loss.
BANDITS POPPED BY KERNELS IN SERIES OPENER
Quad Cities falls 6-2 despite out-hitting the Kernels Friday night
DAVENPORT, Iowa -- The Quad Cities River Bandits fell in their series opener, 6-2, to the Cedar Rapids Kernels in front of 6,656 fans at Modern Woodmen Park in the final Friday home game of the regular season. Kristian Trompiz had three hits and Cody Bohanek had a pair of knocks and his first MWL RBI in the loss while Lucas Williams allowed just one run in a career-long 4.1 innings to keep the Bandits close until late.
The Bandits (39-22, 76-53) issued ten walks in the loss, leading the Bandits to lose for just the second time at home when out-hitting an opponent this season. Cedar Rapids (32-29, 71-60) used a pair of walks and two hits in the second to strike for the game's first two runs. Lewin Diaz then homered in the third and Travis Blankenhorn hit a solo shot in the fifth. The Kernels last two runs came after four walks and just one hit in the ninth for some late insurance.
The Bandits scored in the third when Trompiz led off with a single and later scored on a groundout by Marcos Almonte. Trompiz would score again in the seventh on a Bohanek double, giving him his first extra-base hit and RBI in the Midwest League. Trompiz reached base four times in the game on a walk and three singles.
Nathan Thompson (0-1) took the loss, allowing three runs in 3.2 innings on five hits and four walks while striking out four. Logan Lombana (1-2) got the win for two scoreless innings of relief after starter Charlie Barnes allowed one run on two hits in four innings. The Bandits went 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position in the game.
