MWL Quad Cities River Bandits

Rattlers Eight-Run Frame Buries Bandits in Series Opener

Published on June 28, 2023 under Midwest League (MWL)
Quad Cities River Bandits News Release


Davenport, Iowa - The Quad Cities River Bandits dropped their fifth-straight game on Wednesday, as the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers rode an eight-run third inning to top the Bandits 11-4 at Modern Woodmen Park.

After allowing just one base-runner in the first two innings, Quad Cities starter Luinder Avila faced 12 of the 13 batters Wisconsin brought to the plate in the third and allowed a total of five singles, three walks, and a hit-batsman in the frame- including a string of seven-straight base runners which chased him from the start.

Darrien Miller, Ben Metzinger, Ernesto Martinez Jr., and Eric Brown Jr. all registered RBI singles, with Terence Doston drawing a bases loaded walk to put the Timber Rattlers up 8-0.

The Bandits would respond with help from the Wisconsin defense in the bottom half, using three Rattlers errors and RBI singles from Javier Vaz and Cayden Wallace to trim the deficit to 8-4, however Quad Cities would amount to just three hits of offense throughout the remainder of the game.

Luis Barroso kept the River Bandits in the contest through the middle third, tossing 3.1 innings of scoreless long-relief, but Wisconsin's Nick Merkel matched him with 3.1 shutout frames of his own.

Quad Cities turned to Brandon Johnson in the seventh and eighth, with the right-hander going one-two-three in his first frame, but allowing three runs in the second, including a second RBI for Doston on a single.

Wisconsin's Sam Gardner closed out the game with his first save of the season, tossing 3.0 scoreless innings with a pair of strikeouts, with Wander Arias closing out the game for QC with 1.2 perfect frames of his own.

Avila (3-3) got the loss for Quad Cities, allowing a season-high eight runs (seven earned), on six hits, three walks, and two strikeouts, while Merkel's (1-0) 3.1 inning, one-hit showing earned him the win.

Quad Cities will look to avoid their longest losing streak of the season on Thursday, as Mason Barnett (2-3, 4.06) gets the start against Wisconsin's Stiven Cruz (2-5, 7.24) at Modern Woodmen Park. First pitch is set for 6:30 p.m.

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Midwest League Stories from June 28, 2023


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