MWL1 Quad Cities River Bandits

Bandits fall just short of series sweep

Published on August 12, 2008 under Midwest League (MWL1)
Quad Cities River Bandits News Release


The Quad Cities River Bandits entered play on Tuesday looking for a series sweep after pulling off consecutive comeback victories, but they were unable to finish the job as the Clinton LumberKings held on for a 4-2 win at Modern Woodmen Park.

Quad Cities (27-24, 60-55) will continue their quest for a playoff berth with a three-game set against the Beloit Snappers at Pohlman Field starting Wednesday. The River Bandits and Snappers will head into the series in a third-place tie as two of five teams vying for a second-half playoff berth, while Clinton (26-25, 67-51) has already clinched a spot in the post-season with a first-half division title.

Despite failing to complete the sweep on Tuesday, the River Bandits still managed to take three of four from the LumberKings after entering the series in a five-game losing streak.

Bandits' starter Richard Castillo retired the first six batters he faced and boasted four strikeouts through two innings, but the hurler ran into trouble in the third. He went to a full count against each of the first three batters of the frame, walking two and yielding an infield single to load the bases with nobody out. After a balk allowed the first run to cross the plate, Tim Smith hit a blooper into shallow right-center that turned into a run-scoring single when second baseman Domnit Bolivar could not locate the ball. Later in the frame Mitch Moreland added a sacrifice fly as the LumberKings took a 3-0 lead.

Quad Cities immediately answered in the bottom half of the frame with two runs of their own. Oliver Marmol was hit by a pitch to start the inning and Adron Chambers followed with a single. After a groundout moved both the runners into scoring position, Brett Wallace drove in a pair with a single up the middle that pulled the River Bandits within 3-2.

Clinton added an insurance run in the fifth when Smith clubbed a solo homer to right to extend the lead to 4-2. The reigning Midwest League Player of the Week stretched his hitting streak to 12 games, finishing off a blistering series in which he hit .471 (8-17) with two homers and four runs scored.

The lead held up thanks in part to another impressive relief outing from Chris Dennis (3). The LumberKings' righty entered the game in the eighth inning in search of a six-out save. The only baserunner he allowed reached on an error and Dennis punched out four, including two in a row to end the night.

Jorge Quintero (6-6) snagged the win for Clinton, allowing two runs on three hits over five innings of work.

Castillo (6-3) suffered the loss for Quad Cities, allowing four runs on six hits over six innings. The 18-year-old from Venezuela cruised through the first two frames before running into trouble in a three-run third inning that proved to be the decisive rally. Castillo struck out six, walked two, and allowed his ninth homer of the year in his 10th start for Quad Cities.

UP NEXT: The River Bandits will hit the road on Wednesday to start a three-game series against the Beloit Snappers at Pohlman Field before returning to Modern Woodmen Park on Saturday to host the first-place Burlington Bees for a three-game set. Bandit Wear featuring the new team name and logo is currently available by visiting the Modern Woodmen Park team store, and prorated versions of season ticket packages, mini-packages, and the popular You-Pick-10 Plan are on sale at the park or by calling (563) 3-BANDITS!

Check out the Quad Cities River Bandits Statistics

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Midwest League Stories from August 12, 2008


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