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 Quad Cities River Bandits

Peoria Pitching Outshines Bandits in Series Finale

August 29, 2015 - Midwest League (MWL1)
Quad Cities River Bandits News Release


DAVENPORT, Iowa - Peoria's Midwest League All-Star left-hander Austin Gomber pitched six innings, allowing one unearned run on two hits, and the No. 5 through No. 9 hitters in the Chiefs lineup collected eight of the team's nine hits in a 4-2 win over the Quad Cities River Bandits in front of 5,948 at Modern Woodmen Park Saturday night.

Gomber (15-3) won his seventh consecutive start and beat the River Bandits (38-23 second half, 83-46 overall) for the second time in four starts after losing his first two decisions to Quad Cities (38-23 second half, 83-46 overall) in April.

The Chiefs (38-23, 71-58) aided their starter with a pair of second-inning runs on consecutive one-out hits. Center fielder Harrison Bader singled to right, and catcher Brian O'Keefe hit an RBI double to left field. Designated hitter Steve Bean followed with an RBI single to center field to double Peoria's lead to 2-0.

Quad Cities second baseman Jose Fernandez began the bottom of the second inning by reaching on a throwing error by Gomber. With right fielder Ryan Bottger batting, Fernandez stole second base and advanced to third on Bottger's groundout. However, shortstop Kristian Trompiz struck out swinging, and after third baseman Luis Reynoso walked, first baseman Wander Franco, struck out looking in his first Midwest League at-bat, stranding two runners on base.

The River Bandits put a dent in the lead in the fourth inning, as Fernandez reached on a one-out walk and stole second base with Bottger batting. On the pitch when Bottger struck out, Fernandez stole third base and advanced home on O'Keefe's wild throw that went flying pver third baseman Paul DeJong into left field, making it a 2-1 game.

After the second inning, Quad Cities starter Joshua James (6-4) kept the Chiefs off the scoreboard until the eighth inning, when Derek Gibson had a leadoff bunt single and went to second base on James' errant throw to first base. After James' wild pitch sent Gibson to third base, DeJong's sacrifice fly gave Peoria a 3-1 lead. James pitched a career-high eight innings and tied his career high of seven strikeouts. James became the first River Bandit to go eight full innings in a start since Michael Feliz did so against Burlington Aug. 5, 2014.

Peoria increased its lead in the ninth on a solo home run by Bader off reliever Steve Naemark. The River Bandits were held to just three base runners in the fifth through eighth innings by Gomber and relievers Nick Lomascolo and Nick Frey.

In the ninth inning with a 4-1 lead, Chiefs right-hander Jery Then started by walking Fernandez and Bottger, bringing the tying run to the plate with nobody out. Trompiz reached on a fielder's choice fielded by shortstop Oscar Mercado, who cut down the lead runner Fernandez at third for the first out, and Then struck out Reynoso looking for the second out. Franco, called up Friday from the rookie-level Gulf Coast League Astros, hit a ball up the middle that was knocked down by Then and overthrown by the pitcher to first base, allowing Bottger to score, while sending Trompiz to third and Franco to second. With the tying runs in scoring position, catcher Marlon Avea, who joined the River Bandits Saturday from Short-Season Tri-City and earlier singled in his first Midwest League at-bat, struck out swinging on three pitches to end the game, earning Then his second save of the year.

The River Bandits hit the road for a three-game series with the Burlington Bees, beginning with a 2 p.m. game Sunday at Community Field. Right-hander Brock Dykxhoorn (7-4, 3.90) will start for the River Bandits, and fellow right-hander Michael Bolaski (9-10, 3.88) will be on the mound for Burlington.


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