BANDITS LOSE 7-RUN LEAD TO SQUANDER SWEEP

Kane County is the first team since June 10 to score 10 runs off Quad Cities pitchers

GENEVA, Ill. (August 23, 2015) - The Quad Cities River Bandits scored seven runs while batting around in the second inning to take an 8-1 lead, but they lost their largest lead in a game in more than two years, as the Kane County Cougars rallied to ultimately take the lead in the eighth inning of a 10-9 win that kept the visitors from sweeping the three-game series at Fifth Third Bank Ballpark Sunday afternoon.

The River Bandits (34-21 second half, 79-44 overall) lost a seven-run lead for the first time since April 6, 2013 (also an 8-1 advantage at Kane County in a 13-10, 11-inning win) and a lost a game in which they held a seven-run lead for the first time since April 16, 2010, when they squandered a 9-1 lead at Clinton in an 11-10, 11-inning loss. On Sunday, Quad Cities put the tying and go-ahead runs in scoring position in the ninth inning with one out, but Cougars closer Zac Curtis retired left fielder Drew Ferguson and center fielder Jason Martin on consecutive groundouts to end the third straight one-run contest between the teams with the two best records in the Midwest League.

Quad Cities scored its first seven runs off Cougars left-hander Josh Taylor. In the first inning, center fielder Jason Martin hit a one-out single to right field, stole second base and scored on designated hitter Ramon Laureano's RBI single to left field. Kane County (38-17, 74-49) immediately tied the score in the bottom of the inning against right-hander Brock Dykxhoorn, as shortstop Ildemaro Vargas had a leadoff bunt single, stole second base and scored on second baseman Henry Castillo's RBI single.

In a 1-1 tie beginning the second inning, River Bandits catcher Trent Woodward and shortstop Kristian Trompiz began their respective three-hit games with consecutive singles. Taylor walked third baseman Luis Reynoso, before Ferguson hit a go-ahead sacrifice fly to right field. Martin then popped up a bunt that catcher Elvin Soto dropped when he collided with Taylor near the first-base line. With the bases loaded, the next six batters each collected an RBI. First baseman Bryan Muñiz singled, and Laureano walked to end Taylor's outing after 1 1/3 innings. Left-hander Hector Hernandez - a River Bandit in 2011 and 2012 in the St. Louis Cardinals organization - then allowed three straight singles to second baseman Jose Fernandez, right fielder Ryan Bottger and Woodward, who had two hits in the inning. Trompiz's sacrifice fly made it 8-1 before Hernandez escaped. Taylor was charged with seven runs - six earned - on five hits and three walks with two strikeouts, while Hernandez lasted 3 2/3 innings, allowing four hits and a second-inning earned run while striking out two batters.

The Cougars' comeback began in the bottom of the second inning against Dykxhoorn. Third baseman Joe Munoz and Soto hit consecutive singles, and Vargas chopped a one-out ground ball off Muñiz's glove to score Munoz. Dykxhoorn's one-out balk scored Soto, and Castillo's two-out RBI single made it 8-4. In the fifth inning, first baseman Marty Herum hit a leadoff double to right-center field and scored on Munoz's two-out RBI single. After Quad Cities added a sixth-inning run against right-hander Jency Solis on Bottger's sacrifice fly that scored Martin, the Cougars answered in the bottom of the sixth inning with right fielder Victor Reyes' walk preceding Vargas' two-run home run. That finished Dykxhoorn's start, after he allowed seven earned runs on 11 hits (both career highs) in five-plus innings.

Left-hander Zach Davis (0-1) relieved Dykxhoorn for two scoreless innings, matching Cougars right-hander Ryan Burr (1-0). But with a 9-7 lead in the eighth inning, Davis began by hitting Vargas with a pitch, and designated hitter Cody Regis added an infield single. Castillo hit an RBI single to center field, and Herum drove a go-ahead, two-run double to right-center field for a 10-9 lead. In the ninth inning, Woodward greeted Curtis with a leadoff single. Curtis' error on Trompiz's sacrifice put runners at first and third bases, and Reynoso sacrificed Trompiz to second base before Curtis and Herum handled consecutive ground balls to give Curtis with his league-best 29th save.

BANDITS USE EARLY LEAD TO ELUDE COUGARS

Quad Cities moves within three games of Kane County in the second-half Western Division race

GENEVA, Ill. (August 22, 2015) - The Quad Cities River Bandits scored three first-inning runs and never lost the lead, as left fielder Drew Ferguson and second baseman Jose Fernandez each homered, before right-hander Angel Heredia allowed two ninth-inning runs but stranded the tying run at third base to save a 6-5 win over the first-place Kane County Cougars at Fifth Third Bank Ballpark Saturday night.

Holding the best record in baseball, the playoff-bound River Bandits (34-20 second half, 79-43 overall) won their second straight one-run game over the Cougars (37-17, 73-49) and became the first visiting team to win a series in Kane County since Bowling Green June 3-5.

River Bandits center fielder Bobby Boyd began the game with a bunt single fielded by Cougars All-Star first baseman Marty Herum. After Cougars left-hander Jared Miller (3-4) struck out Ferguson, All-Star third baseman Nick Tanielu grounded a single into left field. With Boyd and Tanielu both running, designated hitter Bryan Muñiz grounded an RBI single off the glove of shortstop Ildemaro Vargas into left field to score Boyd. After Fernandez walked to load the bases, right fielder Ramon Laureano grounded to All-Star third baseman Cody Regis, whose throw on a force attempt went past catcher Michael Perez, allowing Tanielu and Muñiz to score.

After the three-run first inning, Miller allowed four hits over the next five innings, with the only additional run coming on Ferguson's first Midwest League home run on a drive down the left-field line to a picnic deck for his first Midwest League home run. Miller was charged with four runs - three earned - on seven hits and two walks with four strikeouts in six innings.

River Bandits right-hander Joshua James (6-3) held the Cougars to two singles by Vargas through the first four innings. James faced one batter over the minimum until the fifth inning, when second baseman Henry Castillo grounded a triple down the first-base line and scored on a sacrifice fly from Cougars All-Star center fielder Colin Bray to cut the lead to 4-1.

Kane County put the tying run on base for the first time in the sixth inning, when Vargas hit a one-out double to right field, Regis hit an RBI single to left-center field, and James hit Herum with a pitch. That ended James' outing after 5 1/3 innings in which allowed six hits without a walk or strikeout. Right-hander Eric Peterson entered and hit Castillo with his first pitch to load the bases with a 4-2 lead. After Bray flied out to right field, Peterson's wild pitch scored Regis to make it 4-3. With the tying and go-ahead runs in scoring position, Peterson got catcher Michael Perez to fly out to left field. James was charged with all three earned runs, but Peterson held the one-run lead for 2 2/3 scoreless innings, working around a walk in the seventh inning and error and hit batter in the eighth inning.

Ferguson and Fernandez helped Quad Cities add insurance runs in the seventh and eighth innings, respectively, against Cougars right-hander Nick Baker. Ferguson hit a seventh-inning, two-out single to right field, marking his first three-hit game as a River Bandit. He then stole second base on the same play as a Baker wild pitch, allowing Ferguson to reach third base, before another wild pitch scored him. In the eighth inning, Fernandez hit a leadoff drive over the left-field wall for his second Midwest League home run this season and a 6-3 lead.

In the ninth inning, Heredia began with a three-run lead and struck out Perez - the only strikeout by a Quad Cities pitcher in the game - before a one-out walk to designated hitter Joe Munoz and two-out walk to left fielder Chuck Taylor. Vargas then hit a two-run triple to right-center field - his game-high fourth hit - to make it 6-5, before Regis flied out to Boyd, giving Heredia his team-high ninth save.

BANDITS BULLPEN SILENCES FIRST-PLACE COUGARS

Using a franchise-record 32nd pitcher this season, Quad Cities beats Midwest League ERA leader

GENEVA, Ill. (August 21, 2015) - The Quad Cities River Bandits fell behind, 2-0, in the first two innings but rallied for three runs in the fifth inning, while left-hander Steve Naemark and right-hander Elieser Hernandez combined for 5 2/3 scoreless relief innings in a series-opening 3-2 victory over the first-place Kane County Cougars at Fifth Third Bank Ballpark Friday night.

With their 33rd comeback win of the season, the River Bandits (33-20 second half, 78-43 overall) kept their hold of the best record in Minor League Baseball while denying the Cougars (37-15, 73-48) a chance to trim their magic number to clinch a second-half playoff berth. Quad Cities also made history in the bottom of the first inning, when right-hander Thomas Eshelman made his Midwest League debut. The Astros' second-round pick in this June's draft became the 32nd different pitcher the team has used this season, topping the 56-year Midwest League franchise's previous single-season high of 31 pitchers used in 2005. Eshelman allowed both Kane County runs after leadoff walks in the first two innings, but he lasted a career-high 3 1/3 innings, allowing two hits and three walks with two strikeouts.

Eshelman began the first inning by walking Cougars left fielder Chuck Taylor, who went to third base on designated hitter Henry Castillo's one-out single to left-center field. All-Star first baseman Marty Herum hit an RBI single to right field, scoring Taylor for a 1-0 Cougars lead. After All-Star center fielder Colin Bray walked to load the bases, shortstop Dawel Lugo to hit into an inning-ending double play.

In the bottom of the second inning, Eshelman opened with a walk to Cougars third baseman Joe Munoz, followed by catcher Elvin Soto's single to right field and right fielder Victor Reyes' RBI double down the third-base line for a 2-0 lead. With runners at second and third bases, Eshelman struck out Taylor before consecutive groundouts by second baseman Ildemaro Vargas and Castillo to end the inning. That began a stretch of seven straight batters Eshelman retired before Soto's one-out double in the fourth inning to end Eshelman's outing.

With Eshelman's exit, Naemark (1-0) entered in the fourth inning and allowed an infield single to Reyes. With Reyes at first base and Soto at third with one out, Reyes broke for second base, while second baseman Jose Fernandez cut off a throw from catcher Trent Woodward and threw back to home plate to get Soto for the inning's second out. Naemark got Taylor to ground out to end the inning.

Entering with a Midwest League-leading 2.47 ERA, Cougars right-hander Brad Keller (7-9) allowed two hits and a walk in the first four innings, but right fielder Ramon Laureano began the fifth inning with an infield single to Lugo. Woodward walked, and on a sacrifice bunt by shortstop Luis Reynoso, Keller overthrew first base, allowing Laureano to score and putting Woodward and Reynoso at third and second bases, respectively. After center fielder Bobby Boyd struck out, designated hitter Drew Ferguson lined a game-tying single to right-center field. Then All-Star third baseman Nick Tanielu bounced an infield single behind second base, where Vargas only stopped the ball from reaching center field, as Reynoso scored for a 3-2 Quad Cities lead. Keller was charged with three runs - two earned - on six hits and three walks with five strikeouts in five innings. The Cougars bullpen combined to allow two hits and no walks in four scoreless innings.

With a 3-2 lead, Naemark allowed a fifth-inning leadoff double to Vargas, who went to third base on Castillo's sacrifice. Herum walked before Naemark got two straight popups, including an inning-ending sliding catch by Laureano in right field. Hernandez also got help from Laureano's diving catch in the right-center field gap to end the sixth inning with the tying run at first base. Hernandez scattered three hits without walking a batter and striking out three in four scoreless innings to earn his first Midwest League save.

South Bend, IN (8/18/15) --- The Sports Business Journal, one of the most well recognized publications chronicling sports business issues, has released its biennial report on the top Minor League markets.

• Fourteen (14) of Sixteen (16) Midwest League markets were ranked
• Quad Cities Ranked No.1
• Fort Wayne, IN, three (3) and Grand Rapids, MI, ten (10) helped make the Midwest League with the most Clubs in the Top Ten (10 ).
• 20 % of the Teams in the Top 25 markets are Midwest League teams including Peoria, IL (18) and Appleton, WI (21)
• 100% of the Midwest League States were named

Midwest League President Dick Nussbaum stated, "It is no surprise so many of our Clubs are mentioned in the Sports Business Journal list.  Our fans are going to our ballparks in record numbers this year. We hope as the summer comes to a close everyone will take advantage watching of Midwest League baseball."

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.

Quad 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.

Lake 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.

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (August 12, 2015) - Quad Cities River Bandits right-handers Dean Deetz and Brandon McNitt held the Fort Wayne TinCaps to one hit through the first seven innings and only allowed three hits the entire game to the home team, but four TinCaps combined on a four-hit shutout - the first against Quad Cities in two months - in a 2-0 final at Parkview Field Wednesday night.

The TinCaps (28-17 second half, 60-53 overall) won their ninth straight home game and handed the River Bandits (29-16, 74-39) their second three-game losing streak of the season and first since May 26. Quad Cities lost a shutout for the first time since Game 2 of a June 12 doubleheader at home against Lansing.

Making his first Midwest League appearance since April 30, 2014, TinCaps right-hander Pete Kelich (1-0) retired the first two batters, and after All-Star third baseman Nick Tanielu reached on an infield single to third base, catcher Jose Ruiz threw him out at second base when he tried to advance on a pitch in the dirt.

In the bottom of the first inning, Deetz (1-1) walked TinCaps second baseman Josh VanMeter on four pitches with one out. Designated hitter Ruddy Giron then hit one-hop ground ball to Deetz, whose high throw to second base went off second baseman Jose Fernandez's glove into center field, allowing VanMeter to reach third base on the first Quad Cities error in six games. Deetz then walked right fielder Franmil Reyes to load the bases, before a four-pitch walk to left fielder Franchy Cordero forced in a run for a 1-0 Fort Wayne lead.

With the bases still loaded and one out, Deetz got center fielder Michael Gettys to ground to Fernandez to begin an inning-ending double play. For the rest of his five-inning start, Deetz only allowed two baserunners, as Gettys reached on a fourth-inning, two-out throwing error by Fernandez, and TinCaps third baseman Luis Tejada had his team's first hit on a fifth-inning, leadoff infield single behind second base. Deetz walked three batters and struck out four and was charged with an unearned run.

Kelich scattered three hits and one walk with two strikeouts in a season-long, five-inning start, and only one River Bandit reached second base against him, as designated hitter Luis Reynoso and left fielder Jason Martin each singled in the third inning before Kelich escaped.

The River Bandits had their best scoring chance in the seventh inning against TinCaps left-hander Taylor Cox, who pitched a perfect sixth inning but began the seventh with a four-pitch walk to right fielder Drew Ferguson. First baseman Ryan Bottger then singled to right field to put runners at first and third bases. With no outs, Fernandez put a squeeze bunt toward first baseman Trae Santos, who flipped to Ruiz to tag out Ferguson at home plate. After catcher Garrett Stubbs flied out, Cox departed after 1 2/3 innings of work. Right-hander T.J. Weir entered with runners at first and second bases to face Reynoso with two outs, but during the at-bat, Ruiz and Santos combined to pick off Fernandez at first base to end the inning. Weir pitched a perfect eighth inning to contribute 1 1/3 total innings.

Following Deetz, McNitt set down the first seven batters he faced until a one-out walk to Ruiz in the bottom of the eighth inning. Two batters later, VanMeter grounded a two-out single to right field, and Giron hit a line-drive RBI single to right field for a 2-0 Fort Wayne lead. It was enough for right-hander Yimmi Brasoban, who pitched a perfect ninth inning for his eighth save. The TinCaps' win secured the River Bandits' second road series loss of the season and first since losing two of three games July 21-23 at Kane County.

The River Bandits conclude their series in Fort Wayne at 6:05 p.m. Central Thursday, when River Bandits right-hander Agapito Barrios (1-0) is scheduled to face TinCaps right-hander Dinelson Lamet (3-6).

UP NEXT: The River Bandits have two specialty jerseys among the top 10 in MiLB.com's Jersey Joust contest to decide the best specialty jersey in Minor League Baseball. Visit riverbandits.com for a link to vote until Aug. 25 for the 2014 Autism Awareness Jersey and 2015 Boy Scouts Jersey. 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.