Bandits sweep Cougars, win 8th straight
GENEVA, Ill. - Quad Cities River Bandits pitchers Joshua James, Reymin Guduan, Brock Dykxhoorn and Eric Peterson combined to hold the Kane County Cougars to one run on seven singles at Fifth Third Bank Ballpark Wednesday, and the team completed a perfect six-game road trip to win its eighth straight game and become the first team in baseball to win 21 games this season.
The first-place River Bandits (21-6) have their best 27-game start in at least 30 years and their longest regular season winning streak since a 10-game streak April 26-May 7, 2002. They are 13-2 on the road and have swept three straight road series to win nine straight road games for the first time since August 2010. The team had not been perfect on a road trip of six or more games in at least 12 seasons.
Kane County (11-16) kept Quad Cities scoreless for three innings, as Cougars left-hander Jared Miller (2-2) retired nine of the first 10 batters. In the fourth inning, Miller walked first baseman Jamie Ritchie before designated hitter Mott Hyde flied out to center field. Third baseman Nick Tanielu grounded into a fielder's choice that retired Ritchie, but catcher Alfredo Gonzalez doubled to left field to score Tanielu. It was the only run in five innings against Miller, who allowed three hits and one walk with four strikeouts.
For the River Bandits, James began by retiring the first five batters he faced. With two outs in the second inning, Cougars designated hitter Steve McQuail singled to left field, and James allowed the first walk by a Quad Cities pitcher since the seventh inning of Sunday's game in Wisconsin - a stretch of 22 innings - to catcher Stryker Trahan. James also walked third baseman Joe Munoz to load the bases before second baseman Alvaro Rondon hit a 3-2, two-out pitch for an inning-ending flyout to left fielder Sean McMullen.
James lasted until the fourth inning with two outs, when Trahan and Munoz hit consecutive singles. James was removed after allowing four hits and three walks with three strikeouts in 3 2/3 shutout innings. Guduan came in to strike out Rondon to end the inning and retired all three batters in the fifth inning to preserve the 1-0 lead. The left-hander was earned the win in his first two Midwest League outings.
After Miller, Cougars right-hander Jeferson Mejia began the sixth inning and kept the game at 1-0 through the seventh inning. In the eighth inning, shortstop Thomas Lindauer hit a leadoff single to left field, went to second base on a sacrifice by center fielder Jason Martin, to third base on a flyout by Ritchie and scored on Mejia's wild pitch for a 2-0 Quad Cities lead.
Beginning the sixth inning after Guduan, Dykxhoorn kept Kane County scoreless until the eighth inning. With a 2-0 lead, he allowed a two-out single by first baseman Marty Herum, hit Elander with a pitch and walked McQuail to load the bases. Dykxhoorn then threw a wild pitch with Trahan batting, and Herum scored the first run against a Quad Cities pitcher since the third inning Monday - a span of 23 innings. With the tying and go-ahead runs in scoring position, Trahan flied out to right field on a 3-2 pitch to end the inning. Dykxhoorn allowed one earned run on three hits and one walk with two strikeouts in three innings.
The River Bandits added two insurance runs in the top of the ninth inning against Cougars right-hander Bud Jeter. Third baseman Kristian Trompiz singled to center field, Gonzalez was hit by a pitch, and second baseman Alex Hernandez put down a sacrifice that Munoz failed to field cleanly. Right fielder Ryan Bottger hit an RBI single to center field, and two batters later, Lindauer hit a sacrifice fly to make it 4-1. In the bottom of the ninth, Peterson allowed a leadoff walk to Munoz before setting down the next three batters for his third save and the first River Bandits sweep in Kane County since a four-game opening series April 4-7, 2013. In its last nine games, the Quad Cities pitching staff has pitched two shutouts and allowed a total of nine runs - six earned - in 83 innings, for a 0.65 ERA in that span.
The River Bandits open a seven-game homestand at 7 p.m. Thursday against the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers. Quad Cities left-hander Chirs Lee (1-2) is scheduled to face Wisconsin right-hander Cy Sneed (1-2) in the opener of a three-game series.
UP NEXT: The River Bandits will give away five new Mini Rita Grills next Thursday on Rita de Mayo presented by Bud Light and 7G Distributing. The amusement rides will open on Total Turf and Landscape Night and a Thirst-Day with $2 drink specials presented by 104.9 The Hawk, ESPN 93.5 and the River Cities' Reader. IHMVCU members can purchase buy-one-get-one free tickets at the box office. Individual tickets are on sale at the River Bandits box office and online at riverbandits.com. Ticket plans of 12 to 70 games - which include free parking, reserved seats, merchandise discounts, and guaranteed giveaways - are available by calling 563-324-3000.
ABOUT THE BANDITS: The River Bandits ownership in 2014 made one of the biggest improvements to Modern Woodmen Park since the ballpark was first built back in 1931! A new Ferris wheel, standing 105 feet over the playing field, opened May 24, Space Camp opened June 20; the new Drop'N Twist debuted in July; and the newly expanded 300-foot long zip line also reopened.