Mitchell Mashes Quad Cities to Third-Straight Win
MWL Quad Cities River Bandits

Mitchell Mashes Quad Cities to Third-Straight Win

Published on May 29, 2026 under Midwest League (MWL)
Quad Cities River Bandits News Release


Cedar Rapids, Iowa - Royals' top prospect Blake Mitchell launched a pair of homers and drove in a career-best seven runs Friday, as the Quad Cities River Bandits defeated the Cedar Rapids Kernels for the third consecutive night, 11-6 at Veterans Memorial Stadium.

The effort marked the former first-rounder's second-career multi-homer game, while his seven RBI are the most in a single game by a River Bandit since Juan Carlos Negret accomplished the feat on July 3, 2023.

Mitchell's first longball gave Quad Cities a 3-0 lead three batters into the game. After Nolan Sailors tripled to open the night, Kernels' starter Ivran Romero hit Asbel Gonzalez with a pitch. Two tosses later, the 21-year-old drove one just under the scoreboard for his eighth blast of the season.

An RBI-single from Brandon Winokur got Cedar Rapids on the board in the bottom of the first, but Sailors responded with an RBI-double in the next half-inning putting his club ahead 4-1.

Quad Cities' starter Jordan Woods, who took the mound for his High-A debut, rebounded with scoreless second, striking out Twins No. 3 prospect Eduardo Tait for his first as a River Bandit and to strand a pair of Kernels in scoring position.

Cedar Rapids got to the lefty in the third and fourth, with Yasser Mercedes and Tait driving in runs with a sacrifice-fly each to trim Quad Cities' lead to 4-3.

Woods' first Midwest League start came to an end after completing the fourth, with the 22-year-old allowing three runs (all earned) on seven hits, two walks, and one strikeout over 78 pitches.

After allowing four runs over his first two innings, Romero kept the Bandits out of the run column over the remainder of his start before handing the ball to Nick Trabacchi for the sixth.

The right-hander ran into immediate trouble, allowing Derlin Figueroa aboard with a leadoff single before the infielder stole second- one of Quad Cities' season-high-matching 11 on the night. Jose Cerice drove him in with an RBI-infield-single and touched home himself later in the frame on a Khadim Diaw passed ball, pushing the Bandits ahead 6-3.

Two batters later, Angel Acosta kept the rally alive and collected his second double of the game, plating Tyriq Kemp in the process.

Trabacchi remained on the mound to face Sailors but put him on with a walk before recording the second out of the inning. That's when Mitchell returned to the plate and launched his second home run of the night and his ninth of the season, blasting 2-2 pitch over the right-field fence for a 10-3 Quad Cities' lead.

Following the Bandits' six-run top of the sixth, Cedar Rapids scored a pair of runs against Quad Cities' reliever Coleman Picard in the bottom half, as Marek Houston and Tait both struck for RBI-singles.

Fellow QC reliever Ryan Ure was tagged for a run in the seventh after loading the bases and giving way to Max Martin for his 2026 River Bandits debut. Martin, who posted four scoreless relief appearances for the Bandits in 2025, surrendered a bases-loaded walk to Houston to bring the Kernels within four, but did not allow a run and struck out three over his 1.1-inning outing.

Mitchell officially hit the seven-RBI mark in the top of the ninth against Brian Zeldin, plating Sailors second triple of the game with a sacrifice-fly.

Sailors finished the night 3-for-4 atop the Bandits' lineup and joined Carson Roccaforte as the only Quad Cities' hitters to record a multi-triple game since the club became a Royals affiliate in 2021.

Martin (1-0) earned the win in his return to the Midwest League mound, while Romero (2-3) was saddled with the loss, allowing four runs with five strikeouts over his 5.0-inning start.

Riding their first three-game win streak since April, the River Bandits return to Veterans Memorial Stadium for game five of the six-game set tomorrow night and send reigning Midwest League Pitcher of the Week David Shields (3-3, 3.63) to the bump opposite Cedar Rapids' Riley Quick (0-1, 4.38). First pitch is scheduled for 6:35 p.m.

Check out the Quad Cities River Bandits Statistics

Share: Facebook | Twitter/X | LinkedIn | Reddit | Email



Midwest League Stories from May 29, 2026


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central