MWL1 Quad Cities River Bandits

Swauger, Bandits stun Loons late

Published on May 5, 2009 under Midwest League (MWL1)
Quad Cities River Bandits News Release


Down to their last strike and facing one of the Midwest League's top closers, the odds were stacked against the Quad Cities River Bandits on Tuesday night at the Dow Diamond.

But that did not matter to Chris Swauger, who capped a 4-for-5 night with a two-run single up the middle that propelled the Bandits to a dramatic 8-7 win over the Great Lakes Loons.

After yielding seven runs over the first two frames, Quad Cities (14-10) rebounded with 7.1 scoreless innings from the bullpen and five unanswered runs to win the game. Great Lakes (13-12) struggled to shut down the heart of the River Bandits order, as Swauger, Osvaldo Morales and Charlie Cutler combined to go 8-for-13 with four runs and seven RBI.

Quad Cities went to the ninth inning trailing 7-6 as Loons closer Javy Guerra took the mound. The righty entered play a perfect 7-for-7 in save opportunities, adding a 0.71 ERA, 17 strikeouts and just two walks in 12.2 innings of work. But Geurra issued a one-out walk to pinch-hitter Niko Vasquez and a two-out walk to Brett Lilley. After a wild pitch put men at second and third, Swauger battled the count full before scorching a groundball up the middle that brought both runners home - with the throw to the dish ending up lodged between Lilley's torso and the ground as he slapped the plate with his left hand.

Suddenly leading 8-7, the River Bandits brought in their own lock-down closer for the bottom of the ninth. Casey Mulligan responded by mowing down the side in order, striking out all three Loons that he faced looking to clinch his sixth save in as many tries this year. The 21-year-old right-hander now boasts a 0.82 ERA, 23 strikeouts and just two walks in 11 innings.

Ramon Delgado (1-1) earned the win after tossing a scoreless eighth, but Arquimedes Nieto and Adam Veres also turned in huge performances out of the bullpen. After starter Gary Daley was knocked around for seven runs on seven hits in just 1.2 innings, Nieto stranded a pair of inherited runners and went on to throw 3.1 scoreless frames, while Veres added two shutout innings of his own.

Guerra (1-1) suffered the loss and the blown save for Great Lakes after yielding two runs on one hit and two walks.

Early on, the game started with a flurry of action.

The River Bandits opened the scoring in the top of the first, sparked by Lilley's one-out double and a run-scoring single by Swauger. After Morales doubled to put men on second and third, Cutler drove a sacrifice fly to left to put Quad Cities out in front, 2-0.

But the lead did not last long. Great Lakes sent nine men to the plate in the bottom of the first inning, the first five of which reached base safely. Dee Gordon started it off with a single, Jaime Pedroza drew a walk and Austin Gallagher drove in a run with a base hit to right. The next batter was Kyle Russell, who promptly took a 3-1 pitch and smacked it off the wall in right-center for a game-tying RBI-double. Later in the frame, a two-run single by Travis Vetters gave the Loons a 4-2 advantage.

Alex Castellanos led off the second with a double and came around to score, but Great Lakes rallied for three more runs in the bottom half of the frame to stretch their lead to 7-3.

The River Bandits continued clawing their way back into the ballgame in the third. There was one out when Swauger drilled a double off the base of the wall in right-center, and moments later Morales singled him home. Morales took second on the throw to the plate and third on a passed ball, setting the stage for Cutler's groundball up the middle to bring Quad Cities to within 7-5.

Cutler drove home Swauger again in the fifth to cut the deficit to 7-6, a score that would remain until the final frame.

UP NEXT: The River Bandits continue their road trip on Wednesday with game two of a three-game set at the Dow Diamond against the Great Lakes Loons. They will return to Modern Woodmen Park for a three-game homestand against the Cedar Rapids Kernels that begins on Friday, May 8. The series kicks off with Going Green Night, featuring an Aluminum Water Bottle Giveaway from the Waste Commission as well as a fireworks show on a Fireworks Friday. One night later the first 1,000 fans will get a free hat from the Association of the United States Army on Military Appreciation Night, while Spatterdash takes the stage for a live post-game concert on a Rockin' Saturday. The series concludes with the first Tailz ‘Er Waggin' Dog Day of Summer on a U.S. Bank Family Sunday, which will also be Make-a-Wish Night at the ballpark!

ABOUT THE BANDITS: Under new ownership and management in 2008, the Quad Cities River Bandits topped 207,000 fans for only the sixth time in team history and the first time in 12 years. Having recently completed one of the most successful seasons in the history of the franchise - and with a renewed dedication to fans, sponsors and the Quad Cities community - the return of the River Bandits has brought a resurgence of support for the team. BanditWear, season tickets and mini-plans, and individual game tickets are on sale for the 2009 season by calling (563) 3-BANDIT or heading to www.RiverBandits.com. But hurry - good seats are going fast!

Check out the Quad Cities River Bandits Statistics

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



Midwest League Stories from May 5, 2009


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