MWL1 Quad Cities River Bandits

Wild River Bandits Fall in Cedar Rapids

Published on April 8, 2016 under Midwest League (MWL1)
Quad Cities River Bandits News Release


CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa - The River Bandits offense was held in check Friday night, falling 6-2 to the Cedar Rapids Kernels at Veterans Memorial Stadium. The Kernels took both home games in the four-game, home-and-home series. The Astros' two top-five prospects in the Midwest League, No. 4 Kyle Tucker and No. 5 Daz Cameron, each had RBIs in the loss. Another top prospect, No. 12 Albert Abreu, made his first appearance of the season and picked up seven strikeouts in 2.2 innings of relief.

River Bandits (0-2) hitters were struck out 12 times by Cedar Rapids (2-0) pitching. The Bandits were held to just four hits, while the Kernels took advantage of six wild pitches thrown by the Bandits pitchers to score six runs on just five hits.

It couldn't have been a better beginning to Jose Hernandez's first River Bandits start. He struck out the side in order in the first, all three looking. But then Hernandez (0-1) ran into trouble over the next two frames.

Max Murphy singled and Zander Wiel doubled to lead off the second. J.J. Fernandez broke the scoreless tie with a sacrifice fly to deep right field and Wiel would later score on a wild pitch. The next inning Murphy tripled home Rafael Valera, who led off the inning with a three-bagger of his own. Wiel followed up with a sacrifice fly to left field to bring home the fourth run for the Kernels.

The River Bandits got their two runs in the fifth. Antonio Nunez and Johnny Sewald led off the inning with singles and both advanced on a wild pitch, setting up Cameron for his sacrifice fly and Tucker for the RBI ground out to cut it to 4-2 Kernels through five.

That was all the damage Quad Cities could muster off Kernels starter Andro Cutura. Cutura (1-0) struck out eight batters through five innings, surrendering two runs on three hits and three walks.

Abreu took over in the sixth and struck out the side in his first inning of work, but four wild pitches led to two unearned runs coming across in the seventh inning to help the Kernels pull away. Abreu went 2.2 innings, allowing just one hit and the two unearned runs while striking out seven on the 12 batters he faced.

The River Bandits will try to get on the winning track in their home opener Saturday at Modern Woodmen Park. First pitch is scheduled for 1:15 p.m. CT and gates open at 12:15 with fans receiving free magnet schedules and pennants, courtesy of Mediacom. RHP Chris Murphy (0-0) takes the hill for Quad Cities against RHP Sam Gibbons (0-0) for the Kernels. If you can't get to the game join Jake Levy and Lance Ragland on the River Bandits Broadcast Network, starting at 1:00 p.m. with the Lloyd Agencies pregame show.

Check out the Quad Cities River Bandits Statistics

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Midwest League Stories from April 8, 2016


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