MWL1 Quad Cities River Bandits

"Feliz Navidad": Bandits Ace Ends Losing Skid

Published on July 19, 2014 under Midwest League (MWL1)
Quad Cities River Bandits News Release


DAVENPORT, Iowa - Michael Feliz became the first Quad Cities starter to pitch seven shutout innings this season and matched a season high with eight strikeouts to help the River Bandits snap a season-long six-game losing streak with a 6-0 victory over the Lake County Captains in front of 6,212 at Modern Woodmen Park Saturday night.

In his first Midwest League outing since July 6, Feliz became the team's first six-game winner and pitched seven shutout innings for the first time in his career in the regular season. The right-hander had also pitched seven shutout innings for short-season Class-A Tri-City in a New York-Penn League playoff start last Sept. 6. Feliz (6-2) gave Quad Cities (13-15 second half, 48-49 overall) its longest starting effort since he went seven innings July 1 at Beloit. The last River Bandits starter to pitch seven scoreless innings was Josh Hader against South Bend in Game 3 of the 2013 Midwest League Championship Series last Sept. 14. The team's last regular season start of seven shutout innings was by Joe Bircher at Beloit on July 28, 2013. On Saturday, right-hander Tyler Brunnemann pitched two perfect relief innings.

Feliz worked around a first-inning, one-out walk, and his teammates gave him a lead in the bottom of the inning against Captains right-hander Mitch Brown (2-8). Center fielder James Ramsay snapped an 0-for-23 stretch with a single through the middle and became the team's first runner in scoring position since Thursday after right fielder Brett Phillips singled to extend an eight-game hitting streak. Third baseman J.D. Davis walked to load the bases, and left fielder Ronnie Mitchell grounded out to second base to score a run. Brown hit first baseman Chase McDonald to re-load the bases, but retired the next two batters to escape with a 1-0 deficit.

In the second inning, Feliz allowed a leadoff double by Captains catcher Eric Haase and a groundout to put a runner at third base. After a walk, Feliz induced a ground ball for an inning-ending 4-6-3 double play. Only one other baserunner reached third base for Lake County (15-13, 42-56), when left fielder Dorssys Paulino hit a two-out double and went to third base on a wild pitch in the fourth. Feliz had only one perfect inning but scattered three hits, three walks and a hit batter while striking out a batter in five of the seven innings he pitched.

Brown kept the score 1-0 through the fourth inning, as he set down 11 of 12 batters in one stretch. In the fifth inning, shortstop Thomas Lindauer hit a leadoff single to left field, and Brown made a throwing error on a bunt by Ramsay. Phillips' sacrifice advanced both runners, and Brown fanned Davis for his seventh strikeout to match his season high. But Brown was removed with two outs for right-hander Alexis Paredes, who promptly walked Mitchell on four pitches to load the bases and proceeded to force home three more runs on subsequent walks to McDonald, designated hitter Brian Holberton and Wik. Due to Paredes walking all four batters he faced, Brown was charged with three runs - one earned - on three hits and one walk in 4 2/3 innings. Right-hander Justin Garcia entered to record the inning's final out.

In the sixth inning, Ramsay tripled down the first-base line with one out against Garcia and scored on Davis' sacrifice fly. Ramsay finished 2-for-2 with a sacrifice, walk, hit-by-pitch, and three runs, and he reached scoring position following each of his five plate appearances. McDonald added his eighth home run of the season and third of the month off right-hander Justin Brantley in the seventh inning.

Quad Cities seeks back-to-back wins for the first time in two weeks when it continues the series with Lake County at 5 p.m. Sunday. River Bandits right-hander Edison Frias (5-5) is scheduled to face Captains right-hander Jordan Milbrath (3-9).

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Midwest League Stories from July 19, 2014


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