MWL1 Quad Cities River Bandits

Bandits Power to Win, Then Rattlers Walk Off

Published on June 2, 2014 under Midwest League (MWL1)
Quad Cities River Bandits News Release


GRAND CHUTE, Wis. ( June 2, 2014 ) - Quad Cities catcher Brett Booth hit a ninth-inning, go-ahead home run to help his team to a 7-4 win to complete a suspended game Monday afternoon, and the River Bandits hit three more home runs in the g ame that followed, but Wisconsin Timber Rattlers second baseman Francisco Castillo hit a walk-off sacrifice fly in his team's 4-3, seven-inning victory in front of 4,071 at Neuroscience Group Field at Fox Cities Stadium.

Holding a 3-2 lead in the bottom of the fifth inning when play resumed from Sunday's suspended game, Quad Cities (30-27) added a run in the top of the sixth on an RBI single by third baseman Tyler White. Right-hander Adrian Houser (4-1) held the 4-2 lead until the bottom of the eighth, when he hit designated hitter Clint Coulter with a pitch and allowed a one-out double to first baseman Taylor Brennan. Castillo then grounded a single between first baseman Jon Kemmer and second baseman Chan-Jong Moon to score both runs and tie the game, 4-4.

In the ninth inning against right-hander Harvey Martin (2-4), Booth led off by driving a 1-1 pitch over the left-field fence for his first Midwest League home run and the third of the game that spanned two days. With one out, right fielder Ronnie Mitchell reached on an infield single and went to second base when left fielder Tanner Mathis singled to center field. But center fielder Johnny Davis' throw to the infield got away, allowing Mitchell to reach third base, and Brennan's throw toward third base was also wild, allowing Mitchell to score and Mathis to reach third base. Designated hitter Chase McDonald then celebrated his 22 nd birthday by singling home Mathis for a 7-4 lead.

After Houser allowed a leadoff single in the bottom of the ninth, right-hander Andrew Walter came in to strike out the next three batters for his fifth save. It gave Quad Cities a six-game winning streak to match its season high and move a season-best four games above .500.

In a seven-inning series finale, River Bandits right-hander Andrew Thurman struck out five of the first seven batters of the game, and he got support in the second inning from Mitchell's leadoff home run - his seventh in the last 13 games - off right-hander Preston Gainey.

Wisconsin (26-31) tied the game in the third inning. Left fielder Omar Garcia hit a leadoff double, went to third on a sacrifice and scored on a passed ball by catcher Jake Rodriguez. It was the only run against Thurman, who allowed four hits and struck out four in four innings.

In the top of the fourth inning, White smashed a 3-1 pitch from Gainey over the left-field fence for a 2-1 Quad Cities lead. Gainey's next pitch struck Mitchell squarely in the back, and home plate umpire Mike Savakinas ejected Gainey, who had allowed five hits and no walks with two strikeouts in three-plus innings. Left-hander Trevor Seidenberger took over, and he pitched the final four innings, yielding a sixth-inning home run by White, who joined Thomas Lindauer as the only River Bandits with a two-homer game this season.

River Bandits left-hander Chris Lee (2-3) began the fifth inning with a 2-1 lead but allowed three straight one-out singles and a gamke-tying, bases-loaded walk. Coulter grounded into a fielder's choice to give his team a 3-2 lead that lasted until White's game-tying home run. In a 3-3, seventh-inning tie, Lee allowed a one-out walk to Coulter and single by Brennan. With runners at first and third bases, Castillo flied to center fielder Brett Phillips, who spun and threw high to home, as Coulter scored for Quad Cities' fourth walk-off loss this season.

Following its final first-half off day Tuesday, Quad Cities opens a three-game series in Burlington at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, when River Bandits right-hander Jandel Gustave (5-2) is scheduled to start against Bees right-hander Victor Alcantara (2-3).

UP NEXT: The River Bandits return to Modern Woodmen Park at 6 p.m. Saturday with a Craig Biggio Bobblehead Giveaway presented by Prairie Farms and FOX18 for the first 1,500 fans. To order any of the River Bandits 2014 ticket plans - with new lower prices - call the River Bandits box office at 563-324-3000. Season ticket and mini-plan packages start at just seven games and begin at less than $40. Call a River Bandits account representative today to choose your seats and get the details of our various mini-plan packages.

Check out the Quad Cities River Bandits Statistics



Midwest League Stories from June 2, 2014


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