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MWL1 Quad Cities River Bandits

Burlington jumps out to 10-0 lead after two

August 26, 2008 - Midwest League (MWL1)
Quad Cities River Bandits News Release


After the Quad Cities River Bandits won Monday's series opener in blowout fashion, the Burlington Bees returned the favor on Tuesday night to even the four-game series with a 14-4 rout at Community Field.

Quad Cities (32-32, 65-63) saw their chances of catching Cedar Rapids for the Western Division wild card spot all but disappear, as the Kernels won in Wisconsin to drop their magic number to one with six games remaining in the regular season. Burlington (40-23, 70-62), wearing bright yellow hats symbolic of having already secured a berth in the post-season, put the game out of reach early after sending 20 men to the plate and scoring 10 times over the first two frames of the ballgame.

On Monday, Quad Cities held an 11-0 lead by the middle of the fourth and cruised to an 11-4 win. Tuesday night, the River Bandits committed a season-high six errors while Burlington reached an 11-0 advantage before an out had been recorded in the third.

The Bees jumped all over the River Bandits from the get-go, sending 10 men to the plate and taking advantage of two first-inning errors to score five unearned runs in the opening frame. Jason Taylor's sacrifice fly plated the first run before Burlington rattled off four consecutive two-out hits. Nick Francis dropped a flare inside the right field line that went for a two-run double, while Nick Van Stratten and Juan Rivera chipped in with run-scoring singles for a 5-0 lead.

The second inning featured more of the same, as Burlington crossed the plate five more times and batted around again. This time it was Taylor's RBI-double that started the scoring. Three batters later Van Stratten delivered a double that scored two more runs and, after a pitching change, Juan Rivera lined his second run-scoring single in as many innings. David Lough drove in the fifth run of the frame with a liner to left, giving the Bees a healthy 10-0 lead after just two innings of play.

Leading off the bottom of the third, Mike Moustakas added to the rally with a towering solo homer to right-center. The 19-year-old blasted the first pitch of the inning for his league-leading 22nd bomb of the year, making it an 11-0 ballgame.

Burlington coasted from there thanks to the right arm of Alex Caldera (12-6). The 22-year-old from California tossed seven scoreless frames while allowing just three baserunners to earn his fifth win in five August starts. All three baserunners reached on singles - two of which never left the infield - as Caldera struck out three and did not allow a man to reach scoring position.

The River Bandits finally cracked the scoreboard against Bees' reliever Tony Bradley in the eighth, as Adron Chambers and Curt Smith each checked in with two-run singles to pull Quad Cities to within 11-4. But Burlington answered right back, taking advantage of two more Quad Cities errors to plate their final three runs in the bottom of the eighth.

Ryan Kulik (5-5) suffered the loss for Quad Cities, allowing nine runs - four earned - on eight hits over just 1.2 frames.

UP NEXT: The River Bandits are in the midst of a four-game series against Burlington at Community Field but will return to Modern Woodmen Park on Friday for PRIZE-A-PALOOZA, a season-ending four-game homestand against the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers that will be jam packed with exciting giveaways! It begins on Friday night with a Stadium Cup Giveaway thanks to the Life Fitness Center, while the River Bandits will wear St. Louis Cardinals' jerseys that will be auctioned off after the game to benefit the Genesis Compassion Fund. A 6:00 p.m. game on Saturday features a Rick Ankiel Bobblehead Giveaway brought to you by US Cellular and Fox-18 as well as a live post-game concert by "Tri" on a Rockin' Saturday. A U.S. Bank Family Sunday follows with a Pepsi T-shirt Giveaway before the 5:00 p.m. start and will also include player autographs and the opportunity for kids to run the bases post-game. Lastly, the 2008 regular season comes to a close with a 1:00 p.m. matinee on Labor Day as Modern Woodmen of America kicks off Life Insurance Awareness Month with a Stadium Replica Giveaway. The ballgame will also be FANtastic Fan Appreciation Day, featuring giveaways and prizes throughout the afternoon! Bandit Wear featuring the new team name and logo is currently available by visiting the Modern Woodmen Park team store or by calling (563) 3-BANDITS!

Check out the Quad Cities River Bandits Statistics



Midwest League Stories from August 26, 2008


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