MWL1 Quad Cities River Bandits

Bandits Bullpen Silences First-Place Cougars

Published on August 21, 2015 under Midwest League (MWL1)
Quad Cities River Bandits News Release


GENEVA, Ill. - 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.

The River Bandits continue their series in Kane County at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, when right-hander Joshua James (5-3) is scheduled to face Cougars left-hander Jared Miller (3-3) in a rematch of the starting pitchers from May 6, when the River Bandits won, 4-1, in Kane County.

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Midwest League Stories from August 21, 2015


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