Cedar Rapids snaps Quad Cities' longest regular season winning streak in more than six years
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AUG. 4, 2013) - The Quad Cities River Bandits came within two outs of their longest regular season winning streak in 11 years Sunday, but the Cedar Rapids Kernels took advantage of an error by center fielder Teoscar Hernandez to score the tying run, and Joel Licon had a walk-off single for the last of his team's three ninth-inning hits in a 3-2 Kernels victory at Perfect Game Field at Veterans Memorial Stadium.
Quad Cities (25-16 second half, 63-47 overall) had won seven straight games and sought the club's longest winning streak since a 10-game run in 2002. Shortstop Carlos Correa had three singles - including a go-ahead hit in the top of the ninth inning - to tally seven hits in the first two games of the series, and River Bandits pitchers only allowed two hits through the first eight innnings. Quad Cities left 11 runners on base and suffered its second walk-off defeat of the season - and first since June 8 in Peoria.
The River Bandits took a first-inning lead against Kernels right-hander Jose Berrios, who allowed singles by left fielder Danry Vasquez and shortstop Carlos Correa before walks to designated hitter Dan Gulbransen and first baseman Bobby Borchering, the last of which forced home the game's first run. With a 1-0 lead, left-hander Brian Holmes took the mound for his first Midwest League start since May 26. Center fielder Jonathan Murphy hit a leadoff triple and later scored when right fielder Adam Brett Walker II hit into a fielder's choice.
Holmes and Berrios kept the 1-1 tie through their six-inning starts. Berrios overcame six walks and five hits to strike out three batters and strand eight runners on base in the first six innings. Holmes kept Cedar Rapids hitless from the second batter of the game until one out in the fifth inning, and he did not allow a runner into scoring position after the first inning. In a season-high six innings, Holmes gave up two hits and two walks while striking out three batters.
Cedar Rapids (27-15, 67-43) used left-hander Brandon Bixler and right-hander Madison Boer (1-0) for scoreless seventh and eighth innings respectively, but Boer allowed Hernandez's ninth-inning leadoff double off the left-field wall. Vasquez grounded out to advance Hernandez to third base, and Correa singled through the middle of a drawn-in infield for a 2-1 lead.
After two scoreless innings by River Bandits right-hander Daniel Minor, right-hander Juan Minaya (1-5) started the bottom of the ninth inning. Second baseman Jorge Polanco hit a one-out single to right field, and Walker lined a single to center, where Hernandez had the ball go under his glove and roll to the warning track, which scored Polanco and put Walker on third. After an intentional walk to first baseman Max Kepler, Minaya struck out designated hitter Travis Harrison. But Licon grounded an 0-1 pitch up the third-base line for a two-out, game-winning single.
The River Bandits continue the series in Cedar Rapids at 6:35 p.m. Monday. Quad Cities left-hander Josh Hader will make his Midwest League debut against Kernels right-hander Christian Powell (2-4).
UP NEXT: Modern Woodmen Park is a nominee for the "Best Minor League Ballpark" in the 2013 10Best Readers' Choice Awards, and fans can vote once per day at 10Best.com until the winner is announced Aug. 14. The River Bandits return to Modern Woodmen Park Wednesday, Aug. 7. Single-game tickets are on sale at the River Bandits box office at Modern Woodmen Park, by phone at 563-324-3000 and online at www.riverbandits.com. Season ticket and mini-plan packages start at just seven games and begin at less than $50. Call a River Bandits account representative today to choose your seats and get the details of our various mini-plan packages.
