LONG BALL POWERS BANDITS TO 5-2 WIN OVER BURLINGTON
Trompiz and Muñiz hit fourth-inning home runs for Quad Cities, as Deetz extends scoreless streak
BURLINGTON, Iowa (August 31, 2015) - Shortstop Kristian Trompiz and first baseman Bryan Muñiz each homered, and starter Dean Deetz pitched five scoreless innings to extend his streak to 16 1/3 consecutive innings without allowing a run, as the Quad Cities River Bandits bested the Burlington Bees, 5-2, at Community Field Monday night.
Pitching for the first time since throwing seven no-hit innings Aug. 24 at home against Clinton, Deetz (4-1) retired the first seven Bees in order before a one-out double by right fielder Trever Allen in the third inning. Deetz only allowed one other hit on a night where every batter put a ball into play. Burlington (22-41 second half, 57-75 overall) put two runners on base in the fourth inning, as shortstop Zach Houchins reached on a one-out error by Luis Reynoso at second base, and catcher Taylor Ward singled to put runners at first and second bases. But Deetz got left fielder Trevor Gretzky to fly out to left, and first baseman Steven Mateo ended the inning on a ground ball to Wander Franco at third, who forced out Ward with a throw to Reynoso at second to end the inning.
The River Bandits (40-23, 85-46) took advantage of control issues by Burlington starter Keynan Middleton (5-11) in the early going, with both catcher Garrett Stubbs and Trompiz walking to start the second inning. After a sacrifice bunt by Reynoso moved both runners into scoring position, Franco's ground ball to Houchins at shortstop scored Stubbs and put Quad Cities ahead, 1-0. Franco has collected his first two Midwest League RBIs in the first two games of the series.
The lead widened in the fourth, as Trompiz began the inning with his sixth home run of the year - a drive to straight-away left field. Reynoso followed with a walk and advanced to second on a one-out base hit to right fieldby center fielder Bobby Boyd. Left fielder Jason Martin did not advance the runners, as he flied out to center, but Muñiz brought home both runners on his third home run as a River Bandit this season on a booming shot to left to open up a 5-0 Quad Cities lead.
Following Deetz to start the sixth inning, reliever Juan Robles made his Midwest League debut and became the 59th different River Bandit (tying a franchise record) to play in a game this season, Burlington rallied for a pair of runs in the seventh. After walking a pair in the sixth and recording his first Midwest League strikeout, Robles retired the first batter of the seventh inning before walking the bases loaded with one out. Jacob Dorris took over to face center fielder Ayendy Perez and promptly threw a wild pitch, allowing the Bees to score their first run and move the other two runners into scoring position. Burlington scored again when Perez grounded a ball to the right side, scoring the runner from third base and making it a 5-2 game. Dorris got out of the inning by getting second baseman Tim Arakawa to ground out to Muñiz, who fed the ball to Dorris covering the base to end the threat for the Bees.
Dorris allowed one runner in the last two innings of work and struck out three batters to earn his first save with the River Bandits.
OPPORTUNISTIC BANDITS EDGE OUT BURLINGTON
Quad Cities scores runs on a sacrifice fly and wild pitch for 84th win - second-most in franchise history
BURLINGTON, Iowa (August 30, 2015) - Brock Dykxhoorn allowed one run on six hits and struck out three batters in seven innings, and the Quad Cities River Bandits capitalized on their chances offensively, scratching two runs across on four hits to beat the Burlington Bees, 2-1, Sunday afternoon at Community Field.
Dykxhoorn (8-4) tied a career high with seven innings pitched, reaching that mark for the third time this season after accomplishing the feat on July 2 against Peoria and Aug. 9 against Dayton. Dykxhoorn became Quad Cities' first eight-game winner this season.
The scoring began in the second inning against Burlington starter Michael Bolaski (9-11) on a rally that began with River Bandits second baseman Jose Fernandez reaching on an error by Bees third baseman Nick Flair. With first baseman Ryan Bottger batting, Fernandez stole second base and advanced to third on Bottger's infield hit to Flair. Shortstop Luis Reynoso walked to load the bases for third baseman Wander Franco, who flied out to left, deep enough to score Fernandez and give Quad Cities (39-23 second half, 84-46 overall) the 1-0 lead.
The Bees (22-41, 57-75) looked ready to pull even in their half of the second with runners on first and second bases and one out, but Dykxhoorn recovered well, getting right fielder Natanael Delgado to fly out to center field and designated hitter Trever Allen to ground out to third base to end the threat.
Burlington tied the game in the fourth inning on a leadoff single by second baseman Tim Arakawa and RBI double by shortstop Zach Houchins. With the Bees primed take the lead, Dykxhoorn buckled down again, retiring left fielder Trevor Gretzky on a fly ball to right field, striking out first baseman Steven Mateo, and getting Delgado to fly out to center field with the go-ahead run on third base.
After Gretzky's seventh-inning leadoff single and stolen base of second with nobody out, Dykxhoorn finished the inning and the outing strong, striking out Mateo and Delgado, and coaxing a ground ball back to himself on the mound off the bat of Allen.
With Dykxhoorn still the pitcher of record in the top of the eighth inning and Bolaski still in the game, the River Bandits began a two-out rally with the bases empty, as center fielder Bobby Boyd tripled to left-center field. Left fielder Jason Martin and designated hitter Drew Ferguson each walked, knocking Bolaski out of the game in favor of right-handed reliever Jason Hoppe. With right fielder Ramon Laureano at the plate, Hoppe's wild pitch scooted far enough from catcher Taylor Ward to score Boyd and put Quad Cities ahead, 2-1.
The Bees had one last rally in the tank against Quad Cities reliever Zach Davis in the eighth inning. Center fielder Ayendy Perez hit a one-out single, and Arakawa reached on a two-out fielding error by Fernandez. Angel Heredia came in from the bullpen to get out of the jam, and in an eight-pitch at-bat, he got Houchins to ground out to Fernandez to end the inning. Heredia worked a perfect ninth, ending the game by catching Delgado looking for a strikeout to seal the victory, earning his sixth save in 15 days and team-high 12th overall this season.
With the 2-1 win, the River Bandits won their 84th game - the second-most in Quad Cities franchise history behind the 1992 Quad City River Bandits, who won 91 games. Sunday's contest was the ninth one-run game between Quad Cities and Burlington this season, and the sixth straight game decided by the minimum.
BANDITS SURGE EARLY, HANG ON TO BEAT PEORIA, 8-6
Quad Cities jumps to 8-1 lead and withstands furious late rally for MiLB-best 82nd win
DAVENPORT, Iowa (August 27, 2015) - First baseman Bryan Muñiz was 2-for-4 with two runs and a two-run home run in his first professional game as a leadoff hitter, and left-hander Zach Davis halted a five-run rally to preserve the lead in the Quad Cities River Bandits' 8-6 win over the Peoria Chiefs, who clinched a playoff spot earlier Thursday night, in front of 4,671 at Modern Woodmen Park.
Davis entered in the eighth inning after Peoria (37-22 second half, 70-57 overall) rallied to close an 8-1 gap to an 8-5 deficit. With two runners on base, Davis allowed one more run to score before getting a ground ball to end the inning and keep the River Bandits (37-22, 82-45) ahead, 8-6. In the ninth inning, the left-handed reliever allowed a one-out single and a two-out walk to put the tying run at first base before a game-ending popout earned Davis his first save since Aug. 15, 2014, with the rookie-level Greeneville Astros.
The River Bandits trailed in the first inning, after a two-out double by third baseman Paul DeJong and RBI single by first baseman Alex De Leon. With a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the third inning, Chiefs left-hander Dewin Perez (2-6) allowed consecutive one-out singles to third baseman Luis Reynoso and Muñiz, who both advanced on a passed ball by catcher Luis Cruz. Center fielder Jason Martin grounded out to first, scoring Reynoso and tying the game, 1-1. Designated hitter Ramon Laureano followed with a double to right-center field that one-hopped over the fence, bringing Muñiz across home plate and giving Quad Cities a 2-1 lead.
In the fourth inning, the River Bandits took advantage of three Chiefs errors, starting with shortstop Oscar Mercado's fielding error on a leadoff ground ball by catcher Trent Woodward. Second baseman Jose Fernandez bunted, and Cruz threw it past Mercado at second base into center field. As Woodward advanced to third base, center fielder Harrison Bader fired a throw toward third base that skipped past DeJong, allowing Fernandez to advance to second base. Quad Cities capitalized with an RBI single by shortstop Kristian Trompiz, plating Woodward, before right fielder Ryan Bottger's sacrifice fly to right field, driving in Fernandez and making it 4-1. Reynoso popped out before Muñiz capped the rally with a two-out, two-run homer to left-center field - his second as a River Bandit and fourth of the season.
The largest lead came with two more runs in the sixth inning. Bottger and Reynoso drew consecutive walks from reliever Steve Sabatino. Muñiz flied out, and Martin struck out, before Laureano drew a walk to load the bases. Sabatino was lifted for left-hander Sasha Kuebel, and left fielder Drew Ferguson bounced a ball over the mound and into center field for two-run single and 8-1 Quad Cities lead.
After the first-inning Chiefs run, River Bandits pitchers kept Peoria off the board for six straight innings, including two scoreless innings by starter Thomas Eshelman, right-hander Jacob Dorris (1-0) in his Midwest League debut, and Elieser Hernandez, who began the sixth inning, and pitched a pair of scoreless innings himself, before getting into trouble in the eighth. With two runners on base and two outs, back-to-back singles by designated hitter Brian O'Keefe and Cruz made it 8-3. Two batters later, second baseman Darren Seferina doubled to right field to score two more runs, forcing Hernandez out after 2 2/3 innings and bringing Davis into the game.
The 82nd win for the River Bandits gives them the third-highest win total in Quad Cities franchise history, trailing only the 1992 Quad City River Bandits, who won 91 games, and the 2010 Quad Cities River Bandits, who won 83. Despite the loss, Peoria clinched a playoff spot by virtue of Beloit's loss to Wisconsin, sending the Chiefs to the playoffs for the first time since 2009.
