Quad Cities offense struggles for second consecutive game

BURLINGTON, Iowa (June 5, 2014) - The Quad Cities River Bandits' offense mustered just five hits in a 2-1 defeat to the Burlington Bees Thursday at Community Field.

The Bees took the lead when Kody Eaves led off the bottom of the first with a solo home run off of Quad Cities starter Michael Feliz.

Throughout the rest of his four-inning outing, Feliz battled control issues but was successfully able to strand eight Burlington baserunners, with the Bees leaving the bases loaded in both the second and fourth innings. Feliz scattered three hits and four walks with six strikeouts in his four frames.

The River Bandits were able to tie the game in the sixth. Tanner Mathis led off with an infield single. With Mathis running from first, Chan-Jong Moon punched a single to left., bringing Mathis around to third. Burlington outfielder Mike Fish bobbled the ball, which allowed Moon to reach second. After Brett Phillips struck out, Brian Holberton's groundout to second scored Mathis from third and tied the game at one.

With the score still knotted in the bottom of the eighth, Angel Rosa reached second on an error by Quad Cities third baseman Austin Elkins. Rosa moved to third on Exicardo Cayones' sacrifice bunt and then scored the game's decisive run on a wild pitch by Quad Cities reliever Tyler Brunnemann. Brunnemann (0-2) worked two innings out of the bullpen, giving up the lone unearned run with a walk and strikeout to suffer the loss.

Burlington's Trevor Foss (2-4) worked two shutout frames with two strikeouts and a hit allowed to pick up the win and Alan Busenitz tossed a perfect ninth for his eighth save.

The loss dropped the Bandits to 30-29, with Burlington's 30-28 record bettering Quad Cities in the standings with 10 games to go in the first half of the season. The River Bandits will try to salvage the three-game set tomorrow at 6:30 p.m. CT.

Quad Cities musters just two hits in 6-3 loss

BURLINGTON, Iowa (June 4, 2014) - Burlington's Victor Alcantara held Quad Cities hitless through the first five innings, setting the tone for a dominant pitching performance that helped the Bees beat the River Bandits 6-3 at Community Field.

Alcantara's no-hit bid ended on a Tanner Mathis single with one on and nobody out in the sixth. With Burlington ahead 5-0, the right-hander walked Austin Elkins to load the bases. Alcantara got James Ramsay to strike out before walking Chan-Jong Moon as the River Bandits finally got on the scoreboard. The next batter, Brett Phillips, lined a two-run single to right to get Quad Cities within 5-3. With runners on the corners and one out, Burlington brought in right-hander Ben Carlson, who got Jon Kemmer to loft a flyball to left field. Burlington outfielder Mike Fish made the catch, and then unleashed a rocket to nab Moon, who had tried to tag up from third, at home to retire the side.

Quad Cities would not have a baserunner for the rest of the night. Burlington pitchers retired the last 10 Bandits to come to the plate.

Alcantara (3-3) ended up working 5.1 innings, allowing three runs on two hits with six strikeouts and four walks for the win.

The Bees were able to break a scoreless tie in the third. Quad Cities starter Jandel Gustave retired the first two men of the inning before yielding a double to Kody Eaves. Chad Hinshaw singled to left to bring in Eaves for the game's first run. Hinshaw then advanced to second on a wild pitch and scored on an RBI single for Fish to make it 2-0.

Gustave struck out Eaves to lead off the fifth, but then plunked Hinshaw with a fastball to put a man on first. After fanning Fish, Gustave's 3-2 pitch to Eric Aguilera was smoked over the wall in left-center for a two-run home run and Burlington doubled their lead to 4-0. The Bees would score another run on an RBI double later in the inning by Angel Rosa, who went 4-for-4 with two stolen bases. Burlington would steal six bases against the River Bandits throughout the game, a season high against Quad Cities.

After being named the River Bandits Pitcher of the Month for May, Gustave (5-3) struggled in his first June outing, yielding five runs on eight hits with a walk and three strikeouts in five frames. Patrick Christensen threw a season-high three innings out of the bullpen, allowing a run on four hits. He punched out three and walked two.

Brian Loconsole worked a perfect eighth and ninth with three punchouts for his first save of the season as Burlington hopped above .500 to 29-28. The River Bandits fell for the second consecutive game. Their record now stands at 30-28.

The two teams will resume their series tomorrow at 6:30 p.m. Michael Feliz (1-1, 3.52 ERA) will start against Burlington's Harrison Cooney (4-3, 2.05).

GRAND CHUTE, Wis. (June 2, 2014) - Quad Cities catcher Brett Booth hit a ninth-inning, go-ahead home run to help his team to a 7-4 win to complete a suspended game Monday afternoon, and the River Bandits hit three more home runs in the game that followed, but Wisconsin Timber Rattlers second baseman Francisco Castillo hit a walk-off sacrifice fly in his team's 4-3, seven-inning victory in front of 4,071 at Neuroscience Group Field at Fox Cities Stadium.

Holding a 3-2 lead in the bottom of the fifth inning when play resumed from Sunday's suspended game, Quad Cities (30-27) added a run in the top of the sixth on an RBI single by third baseman Tyler White. Right-hander Adrian Houser (4-1) held the 4-2 lead until the bottom of the eighth, when he hit designated hitter Clint Coulter with a pitch and allowed a one-out double to first baseman Taylor Brennan. Castillo then grounded a single between first baseman Jon Kemmer and second baseman Chan-Jong Moon to score both runs and tie the game, 4-4.

In the ninth inning against right-hander Harvey Martin (2-4), Booth led off by driving a 1-1 pitch over the left-field fence for his first Midwest League home run and the third of the game that spanned two days. With one out, right fielder Ronnie Mitchell reached on an infield single and went to second base when left fielder Tanner Mathis singled to center field. But center fielder Johnny Davis' throw to the infield got away, allowing Mitchell to reach third base, and Brennan's throw toward third base was also wild, allowing Mitchell to score and Mathis to reach third base. Designated hitter Chase McDonald then celebrated his 22^nd birthday by singling home Mathis for a 7-4 lead.

After Houser allowed a leadoff single in the bottom of the ninth, right-hander Andrew Walter came in to strike out the next three batters for his fifth save. It gave Quad Cities a six-game winning streak to match its season high and move a season-best four games above .500.

In a seven-inning series finale, River Bandits right-hander Andrew Thurman struck out five of the first seven batters of the game, and he got support in the second inning from Mitchell's leadoff home run - his seventh in the last 13 games - off right-hander Preston Gainey.

Wisconsin (26-31) tied the game in the third inning. Left fielder Omar Garcia hit a leadoff double, went to third on a sacrifice and scored on a passed ball by catcher Jake Rodriguez. It was the only run against Thurman, who allowed four hits and struck out four in four innings.

In the top of the fourth inning, White smashed a 3-1 pitch from Gainey over the left-field fence for a 2-1 Quad Cities lead. Gainey's next pitch struck Mitchell squarely in the back, and home plate umpire Mike Savakinas ejected Gainey, who had allowed five hits and no walks with two strikeouts in three-plus innings. Left-hander Trevor Seidenberger took over, and he pitched the final four innings, yielding a sixth-inning home run by White, who joined Thomas Lindauer as the only River Bandits with a two-homer game this season.

River Bandits left-hander Chris Lee (2-3) began the fifth inning with a 2-1 lead but allowed three straight one-out singles and a gamke-tying, bases-loaded walk. Coulter grounded into a fielder's choice to give his team a 3-2 lead that lasted until White's game-tying home run. In a 3-3, seventh-inning tie, Lee allowed a one-out walk to Coulter and single by Brennan. With runners at first and third bases, Castillo flied to center fielder Brett Phillips, who spun and threw high to home, as Coulter scored for Quad Cities' fourth walk-off loss this season.

Following its final first-half off day Tuesday, Quad Cities opens a three-game series in Burlington at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, when River Bandits right-hander Jandel Gustave (5-2) is scheduled to start against Bees right-hander Victor Alcantara (2-3).

UP NEXT: The River Bandits return to Modern Woodmen Park at 6 p.m. Saturday with a Craig Biggio Bobblehead Giveaway presented by Prairie Farms and FOX18 for the first 1,500 fans. To order any of the River Bandits 2014 ticket plans - with new lower prices - call the River Bandits box office at 563-324-3000. Season ticket and mini-plan packages start at just seven games and begin at less than $40. Call a River Bandits account representative today to choose your seats and get the details of our various mini-plan packages.

ABOUT THE BANDITS: Having just been named Ballpark Digest's winner of Best Ballpark Improvement in America under $1 million, the River Bandits ownership is making one of the biggest improvements to Modern Woodmen Park since the ballpark was first built back in 1931! A new Ferris wheel, standing 110 feet over the playing field, opened May 24, followed by a new ride called a "Drop and Twist," an expanded 300-foot long zip line, and many other new games and attractions. In 2013, the team unveiled a new 220-foot long dual zip line, a rock climbing wall, and a number of new bounce houses. Last season, the team's major league affiliate, the Houston Astros, saw all six of its affiliates reach the playoffs - the first time in a decade any MLB team can claim such success. The River Bandits were one of three affiliates to reach the championship round and one of two to win their league championship.

*****

McDonald and Mitchell hit home runs, team posts eight stolen bases for first time in more than a decade

DAVENPORT, Iowa (May 28, 2014) - Designated hitter Chase McDonald hit a go-ahead, two-run home run in the fifth inning, and second baseman Chan-Jong Moon became the first Quad Cities player in more than 15 years to steal four bases in a game, leading the River Bandits to a 9-5 win over the Beloit Snappers in front of 1,465 at Modern Woodmen Park Wednesday night.

Led by Moon's four stolen bases - the best single-game mark by a Quad Cities player since at least 1998 - Quad Cities (26-26) stole eight bases, which was the highest single-game showing for the team since at least 2003. Moon stole one base in the first inning, two in the third inning and one in the sixth inning to raise his team-leading season total to 23. Catcher Brett Booth, left fielder Ronnie Mitchell, first baseman Jon Kemmer and shortstop Thomas Lindauer also each stole one base.

Beloit (23-29) jumped to an early lead against left-hander Chris Lee, as shortstop Melvin Mercedes hit a first-inning, one-out double, and designated hitter Jaycob Brugman hit thre first of his two home runs to right field for a 2-0 lead.

In the bottom of the first inning, Snappers right-hander Bobby Wahl (0-4) allowed a leadoff walk to center fielder James Ramsay, and a wild pickoff throw sent Ramsay to third base. Moon drove in Ramsay with an infield single, stole second base, went to third base on a passed ball and scored the tying run on a single by right fielder Brett Phillips. Another wild pickoff by Wahl sent Phillips to third base, and McDonald lifted a sacrifice fly to left field to bring in the go-ahead run. Lindauer added a fourth-inning RBI double to make it 4-2.

Lee worked around a baserunner in each of the second through fourth innings to keep Beloit off the scoreboard. In the fifth, Snappers catcher Jose Chavez hit a leadoff double, Mercedes drew a one-out walk, and Brugman went deep for the second time to give his team a 5-4 lead. Lee was removed after 4 2/3 innings, allowing five earned runs on seven hits with two walks and six strikeouts. Right-hander Patrick Christensen (3-1) walked the first two batters he faced to load the bases before escaping the inning. Christensen went on to work 2 1/3 scoreless innings, yielding one hit and walking three batters while striking out two.

In the fifth inning against Wahl, Phillips led off with an infield single, and McDonald drove an 0-1 offering high down the left-field line for his second home run of the season and a 6-5 River Bandits lead. Kemmer followed with a single, stole second base and reached third on Chavez's throwing error, and scored on Mitchell's sacrifice fly off right-hander Stuart Pudenz, making it 7-5. Wahl was charged with seven runs - five earned - on nine hits and three walks with two strikeouts in 4 1/3 innings. In the sixth inning, Pudenz walked Lindauer, allowed a single by Ramsay and bunt single by Moon to load the bases, and Phillips hit the team's third sacrifice fly for an 8-5 lead.

Moon and Mitchell tied for the game high with three hits, and the latter hit his fourth home run in the last eight games off right-hander Tyler Vail in the seventh inning for a 9-5 lead. Right-hander Andrew Walter held the score there with scoreless eighth and ninth innings.

Quad Cities continues the series against Beloit at 7 p.m. Thursday, when right-hander Michael Feliz (1-1) is scheduled to face Snappers right-hander Junior Mendez (2-2).

UP NEXT: All ladies age 18 and over receive $2 off ANY regular ticket to the Ladies Night game at 7 p.m. Thursday. Gates open at 5:30 p.m., and the team store will offer 10% off women's apparel. Ladies 21 and over receive 2-for-1 $2 drink vouchers on Thirst-Day Thursday, which features $2 drink specials presented by Rock 104-9 and the River Cities' Reader. To order any of the River Bandits 2014 ticket plans - with new lower prices - call the River Bandits box office at 563-324-3000. Season ticket and mini-plan packages start at just seven games and begin at less than $40. Call a River Bandits account representative today to choose your seats and get the details of our various mini-plan packages.

ABOUT THE BANDITS: Having just been named Ballpark Digest's winner of Best Ballpark Improvement in America under $1 million, the River Bandits ownership is making one of the biggest improvements to Modern Woodmen Park since the ballpark was first built back in 1931! A new Ferris wheel, standing 110 feet over the playing field, opened May 24, followed by a new ride called a "Drop and Twist," an expanded 300-foot long zip line, and many other new games and attractions. In 2013, the team unveiled a new 220-foot long dual zip line, a rock climbing wall, and a number of new bounce houses. Last season, the team's major league affiliate, the Houston Astros, saw all six of its affiliates reach the playoffs - the first time in a decade any MLB team can claim such success. The River Bandits were one of three affiliates to reach the championship round and one of two to win their league championship.