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MWL1 Quad Cities River Bandits

Rasmus homer not enough for Swing

June 11, 2006 - Midwest League (MWL1)
Quad Cities River Bandits News Release


The Swing of the Quad Cities dropped their third consecutive ballgame with a loss to the Southwest Michigan Devil Rays Sunday afternoon at C.O. Brown Stadium, leaving the potential game-tying run at third base for a 3-2 final.

Quad Cities (29-32) has now lost three in a row after nine wins in a ten-game stretch brought them back up to the .500 mark Thursday, and have officially been eliminated from qualifying for a first-half playoff berth. Southwest Michigan (31-32) continues their dominance over the Swing at C.O. Brown Stadium, having won seven in a row dating back to 2004. The last time Quad Cities won in Battle Creek was on May 12, 2004, when the Quad City River Bandits downed the Battle Creek Yankees in the middle game of a three game set, 9-6.

Trailing 3-1 in the top of the eighth, Colby Rasmus turned on a 1-0 pitch and jacked it over the right field wall to pull the Swing to within one run. He last homered on May 10, but one month and one day later his bomb against the Devil Rays became home run number six on the season and ran his RBI total up to 31.

In the top of the ninth Quad Cities tried to rally against Southwest Michigan's ace closer, Greg Dupas, a Midwest League All-Star who entered the game having nailed down 16 consecutive saves. Chad Gabriel started off the inning with a double that ricocheted off the third baseman, and stood 90 feet away from tying the game after a strikeout and a groundout. But Daniel Nelson hit a soft bouncer to the second baseman to end the game, giving Dupas his 17th converted save opportunity in a row.

Jake McGee (6-5) took the win in a five-inning performance, allowing one run on six hits and two walks. The league's strikeout leader managed only three punchouts, giving him 90 through 71.2 innings for the season, but also marking the first time this year he has fanned less than five in a ballgame.

After Trey Hearne pitched out of a first-and-third, nobody out jam in the bottom of the third, the Swing struck first in the top of the fourth. Randy Roth and Bryan Anderson hit consecutive one-out singles, and stood at first and second with two away when Chad Gabriel stepped to the dish. Gabriel then slapped a double the other way that landed inside the right field line to plate Roth for a 1-0 lead.

In the bottom of the frame, Southwest Michigan came right back. Consecutive singles opened the frame for the second inning in a row, and a one-out walk led to another bases loaded situation. Suarez hit a hot smash towards third base that Casey Rowlett knocked down, and while he was able to recover and throw to first for the out, the D-Rays tied the game at one. One batter later, a wild pitch allowed David Cardona to score the inning's second run and put Southwest Michigan on top, 2-1.

The Devil Rays added an insurance run in the seventh when a routine groundball off the bat of J.T. Hall with one out snuck through the legs of Jose Martinez. After a stolen base, he came home to score on a single by Colt Simmons into right field. The knock by Simmons - playing his first game with Southwest Michigan - gave his new squad a critical two-run cushion.

Hearne (3-1) took the loss for Quad Cities, touched for two runs on seven hits despite six strikeouts in five innings. The righty out of Texas A&M Corpus Christi gave up a single to the leadoff batter in each of his first four frames of work, and it came back to haunt him in the two-run fourth inning. Hearne, who had just five walks entering the game, issued three free passes for the first time in his career.

A pair of hitting streaks were kept alive, as Randy Roth and Chad Gabriel continued to hit the ball well. Roth, whose 19-gamer earlier in the season still stands as tied for the longest this year in the Midwest League, now boasts a 12-game streak as well after a 1-for-4 performance. Gabriel, whose streak began on May 23 and has stayed alive despite a sprained ankle injury that sidelined him for a week, has hit safely in eight straight. His 4-for-4 performance almost bailed out the Swing on Sunday, and the outfielder is hitting .444 with four runs scored and four driven in over the stretch.

UP NEXT: The Swing of the Quad Cities will continue their series in Battle Creek with the Southwest Michigan Devil Rays Monday, as RHP Kyle Sadlowski (3-1, 3.54) will take the mound against RHP Wade Davis (4-2, 1.94). First pitch is scheduled for 6:05 p.m., with coverage on Progressive Talk AM-1270 beginning at 5:50 p.m.

Check out the Quad Cities River Bandits Statistics



Midwest League Stories from June 11, 2006


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