MWL1 Quad Cities River Bandits

Swing Fall Behind Early in 8-4 Loss

Published on August 5, 2007 under Midwest League (MWL1)
Quad Cities River Bandits News Release


The Swing of the Quad Cities fell behind early and never recovered on Sunday afternoon, falling to the West Michigan Whitecaps by an 8-4 score at Fifth Third Ballpark.

Quad Cities (24-17, 62-48) dropped Sunday's contest after winning the first two games of the set, leaving them in position to win the series with a victory in the finale on Monday night. West Michigan (27-15, 65-47) got eight strong innings from starter Matt O'Brien, while Santo De Leon checked in with his second homer of the year and four RBI.

The Whitecaps took a lead in the bottom of the second. Michael Bertram doubled to right to open the frame and Brandon Timm drew a walk. The Swing were expecting a bunt with men at first and second and nobody out, but De Leon took a full swing at the first pitch he saw and belted a long three-run homer to left for a 3-0 lead.

One inning later, West Michigan added to the advantage after just two pitches. Brennan Boesch led off with a single to right and advanced to second when Daryl Jones bobbled the ball. On the second pitch of the inning, Bertram singled him home with a base hit to right for a 4-0 advantage.

That lead doubled in the bottom of the fourth. There were two men on and two outs when the Whitecaps reeled off four consecutive singles against reliever Jason Cairns. Bertram had the first one, driving in a pair of baserunners that had previously reached on walks by starter Shaun Garceau. De Leon and Jeramy Laster also checked in with run-scoring knocks, as the Swing fell into an 8-0 deficit.

In the top of the sixth, Quad Cities got back in the ballgame thanks to a two-out error. With men at second and third and two away Christian Reyes bounced a routine grounder to short, but the throw to first base was dropped by Bertram and Jones trotted home from third. One pitch later, Nick Derba slugged his second homer of the year off the top of the scoreboard in left, pulling the Swing to within 8-4 with a big three-run bomb.

But that was as close as they would get. O'Brien (6-2) was in control throughout his start for the Whitecaps, scattering eight hits over eight impressive innings. He struck out six without issuing a walk and all four runs against him were unearned.

Quad Cities made things interesting in the ninth, as Derba opened the frame with a double and Jose Ramirez singled to right. Oliver Marmol was hit by a pitch with one out to load the bases and bring the game-tying run to the plate, but Whitecaps' closer Brett Jensen was up to the task in a non-save situation. The righty struck out Antone DeJesus and induced an infield pop out from Jones, putting the finishing touches on the 8-4 final.

Garceau (7-9) struggled in the loss, allowing six runs on eight hits over 3.2 innings of work. The hard-throwing 19-year-old struck out four and walked three, allowing his team-high 14th home run of the year.

DeJesus went 0-for-5 in the contest, bringing his hitting streak to a close after 13 games, the longest by a Swing player this season. During the stretch, the pesky leadoff hitter out of the University of Kentucky hit .360 with 16 runs, 12 walks, eight RBI, and four stolen bases.

TICKETS: Tickets for all events at John O'Donnell Stadium can be purchased by calling the Swing of the Quad Cities ticket office at (563) 328-2000, coming to the box office located at the stadium along South Gaines Street, or by logging on to www.swingbaseball.com.

UP NEXT: The Swing are in the midst of a 10-game road stretch that winds down in West Michigan on Monday. They will return to the Quad Cities for a 10-game homestand starting on Tuesday, August 7. All Swing games feature a radio broadcast that can be heard on WKBF AM-1270 or online at www.swingbaseball.com, with the pre-game show starting 15 minutes prior to scheduled first pitch.

UPCOMING PROMOTIONS: The Swing kickoff a 10-game homestand on Tuesday with Trinity Employee Night. On Wednesday, the cities of Davenport and Rock Island will celebrate being named the most livable small cities in America by handing out free general admission tickets to the first 2,000 fans to the ballpark!!! Thursday will be a Bent River Brewing Company Thirsty Thursday, featuring Rock 104.9's Dave & Darren as well as singles night, including the chance to win a date with Swing Director of Promotions Jess Schineller. Friday's game will feature post-game FIREWORKS before a Boy Scout sleepover, setting the stage for a fantastic weekend of more great promotions!!!

Check out the Quad Cities River Bandits Statistics

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



Midwest League Stories from August 5, 2007


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