MWL Quad Cities River Bandits

Offensive Woes Continue, Bandits Swept by Cubs

April 9, 2023 - Midwest League (MWL)
Quad Cities River Bandits News Release


Davenport, Iowa - The offensive struggles continued for the Quad Cities River Bandits who dropped their third-straight game after a 2-1 loss to the South Bend Cubs on Sunday at Modern Woodmen Park.

Bandits starter Chandler Champlain picked up the loss despite throwing six innings and allowing two earned runs and two hits while walking none and striking out eight. South Bend right-hander Frankie Scalzo Jr. earned the win after three innings of relief in which he allowed no earned runs on one hit while walking two and striking out four.

Quad Cities received another strong outing from their starting rotation as Champlain struck out the side to open the game as part of the nine straight batters he retired his first time through the order. The Royals No. 26 prospect surrendered a leadoff home run to shortstop Fabian Pertuz in the top of the fourth to give the Cubs a 1-0 lead before the next batter, DJ Artis, reached on a hit by pitch. Artis stole second and Champlain retired the next two batters via groundout and strike out before right fielder Yohendrick Pinango drove in Artis with a single putting South Bend ahead 2-0 after the top of the fourth. Champlain settled down and retired six straight hitters over the next two innings to complete his outing.

Bandits relievers Caden Monke (one hit, one walk, one strikeout), Marlin Willis (no hits, one walk, one strikeout), and Anderson Paulino (one hit, no walks, two strikeouts) each tossed one scoreless inning, respectively, in their outings.

For the third-straight game, the Bandits offense was held in check by Cubs pitching, failing to pick up a hit until the sixth inning.

Cubs starter Brandon Birdsell pitched three shutout innings, striking out four and surrendering a leadoff walk in the bottom of the first to left fielder Javier Vaz and another leadoff walk to designated hitter Carter Jensen in the second, but retired each of the next three Bandits hitters to end the inning.

A sixth inning rally for Quad Cities against Scalzo Jr. was cut short after Vaz walked, shortstop Jack Pineda struck out, and center fielder Gavin Cross picked up a single to put two runners on with one out. With two on and one out, third baseman Cayden Wallace struck out and Scalzo got Jensen to fly out, ending the inning.

The Bandits got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the eighth inning after Vaz led off with his second walk of the game, stole second after a Pineda strikeout, and eventually came around to score on an RBI single by Wallace off Cubs reliever Adam Laskey to cut the deficit in half 2-1.

In the bottom of the ninth, South Bend right-hander Jarod Wright struck out Kale Emshoff to begin the inning, walked Herard Gonzalez, struck out River Town, and getting Jack Alexander to pop out in foul territory to end the game, sealing a 2-1 Cubs win and picking up his first save of the season.

Quad Cities will look for its first win of the season as they hit the road for the start of a six-game series beginning Tuesday against the Cedar Rapids Kernels (3-0). First pitch between the Bandits and Kernels is scheduled for 6:35 pm at Veterans Memorial Stadium.

Check out the Quad Cities River Bandits Statistics



Midwest League Stories from April 9, 2023


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