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MWL1 Quad Cities River Bandits

Garcia, Rasmus lead Swing to split

June 15, 2006 - Midwest League (MWL1)
Quad Cities River Bandits News Release


The Swing of the Quad Cities split a doubleheader with the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers on Thursday at John O'Donnell Stadium, dropping the opener, 2-1, before winning the nightcap by the same score. Jaime Garcia went all seven innings for the win in game two, while Colby Rasmus paced the offense with two of the three Swing RBI on the night as his family cheered him on from the crowd.

Quad Cities (31-34) is now 5-5 in doubleheader games this season, having split all three of their twin bills at home while sweeping one and getting swept in another on the road. Wisconsin emerges from the night with a 27-40 record.

The pitching was strong all night for the Swing, as Adam Daniels struck out 10 in game one before Garcia's complete game closed out the night. The strikeout total for Daniels was a career high and tied Mark McCormick for the most punchouts in a single game by a Quad Cities pitcher this season. Garcia's complete game was the second of the year for the Swing as well as the second in the last four days, coming on the heels of a nine-inning performance turned in by Kyle Sadlowski in a 10-4 win at Southwest Michigan on Monday.

In front of his family, Rasmus went a combined 3-for-5 on the night with a triple and two runs batted in. In the process he extended his hitting streak to 10 games, a stretch that has seen him hit .378 (14-37) with eight extra-base hits and nine RBI. Roth saw his 13-game streak end Thursday night after a two-week period in which he batted at a .367 (18-49) clip with eight runs scored.

After taking the opener, Wisconsin got on the board quickly in game two with a two out rally in the top of the first. The bases were empty when Ron Garth slapped a double past a diving Richard Giannotti in right field. One batter later Luis Valbuena lined a base hit up the middle, bringing home Garth for an early 1-0 lead.

Quad Cities got even in the bottom of the fourth. Casey Rowlett sparked the inning with an opposite-field double into right-center, and moved to third on a deep fly out off the bat of Rasmus. That enabled him to score on a bounce out towards third base from Roth, notching the tying run for a 1-1 score.

In the bottom of the sixth the Swing pushed across the game-winner. Daniel Nelson beat out an infield single to open the frame. After Rowlett bunted him to second, pitcher David Asher was called for a balk to move the speedy 22-year-old to third. With the infield playing in, Rasmus sent a line drive over the head of the second baseman that scored Nelson to put Quad Cities in front, 2-1.

Garcia (5-4) struck out five without issuing a walk, touched for just one run on six hits and fanning the final two batters he faced to preserve the seven-inning win. Jose Escalona (4-6) got the short end of the decision despite a solid outing in which he gave up two runs on four hits in 5.1 innings.

In game one, unearned runs got the best of the Swing again.

Quad Cities took the early lead thanks to a leadoff walk to Nelson in the first. After stealing second, he raced home on a groundball single by Rasmus up the middle to give the Swing a 1-0 edge. That was the only run Wisconsin starter Harold Williams allowed, however, as the southpaw improved to 2-3 despite walking four and hitting two Quad Cities batters. The Midwest League walk leader allowed just two hits and fanned three in his six innings of work.

In the third, it was a costly error by Luis Cotto that opened the door for a Timber Rattlers rally. With men on first and second Garth sent a one-out single through the left side of the infield that plated Jeffrey Dominguez to tie the game. Casey Craig advanced to third on the single, and scored one batter later on a wild pitch to give Wisconsin the decisive 2-1 advantage.

Adam Daniels (2-6) took the loss despite recording a career-high 10 strikeouts, giving up two unearned runs on seven hits over six frames. He scattered seven hits and walked one, but was unable to overcome the third-inning error.

Including Tuesday's loss at Southwest Michigan, the Swing pitching staff lost two games in a row without allowing an earned run. The stretch of eight consecutive unearned runs allowed was snapped in the first inning of game two on Thursday.

UP NEXT: The Swing of the Quad Cities will close out the first half of the season with a home series against Wisconsin that continues on Friday, as RHP Trey Hearne (3-2, 3.15) will take the mound against RHP Marwin Vega (1-3, 6.93). First pitch is scheduled for 7:00 p.m., with coverage on Progressive Talk AM-1270 beginning at 6:45 p.m.

UPCOMING PROMOTIONS: The Girl Scouts will be at the ballpark Friday night, as the 2006 Trading Card Set will be given away to fans at the gates. KWQC and WKBF will bring you fireworks after Saturday night's ballgame, and close out the first half with a Mix 96 Family Fun Day and a pedometer giveaway on Genesis Employee Day on Sunday.

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Midwest League Stories from June 15, 2006


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