Bowling Green Blanked By Quad Cities In Road Trip Opener, 3-0
Davenport, Iowa - Bowling Green was held to four hits for the second straight game, as the Hot Rods dropped the opener of their six-game Western Division road trip at Quad Cities, 3-0, in front of 3,011 fans at Modern Woodmen Park on Tuesday night.
Bowling Green (19-19, 56-52) lost its third straight game - and sixth consecutive road contest - while its offensive woes continue, having scored only two runs over the last three games. Quad Cities (25-13, 70-36) secured its eighth win in a row and registered its Midwest League high 12th shutout of the year.
River Bandits' starter Justin Ferrell (3-2) scattered four hits over 7.2 impressive innings - a career-high - while walking three and striking out five. Bowling Green did not have an answer for reliever Eric Peterson either, as the right-hander tossed 1.1 innings of perfect baseball in collecting his sixth save of the season.
Quad Cities scratched across the first run of the series in the bottom of the third inning against Hot Rods' starter Yonny Chirinos. Chirinos walked Luis Reynoso with one out before surrendering a two-out single to Jason Martin, moving Reynoso to third base. With Bobby Boyd at the plate, a passed ball brought Reynoso home to make it 1-0 River Bandits.
Chirinos retired nine of the next 11 batters he faced before running into trouble in the bottom of the seventh. Ramon Laureano led off the frame with a bunt single and moved to second base on a Chirinos wild pitch. Ryan Bottger drove Laureano home on a RBI single into centerfield, giving Quad Cities a 2-0 lead, while Bottger moved to second on a fielding error by Thomas Milone. After Trent Woodard grounded out, Reynoso singled home Bottger past a drawn-in infield, moving the count to 3-0.
Reynoso was the final batter Chirinos (3-2) faced, leaving after 6.1 innings of seven-hit ball, allowing three runs - two earned - while striking out three and walking two. Brian Miller entered in relief for Bowling Green, allowing one hit and walking one while striking out two over 1.2 innings of scoreless baseball.
Nick Ciuffo owned two of Bowling Green's four hits, with Riley Unroe and Justin Williams contributing the other two knocks for the Hot Rods, who left seven men on base and went 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position.
Brad Wallace (2-2, 4.29) looks to put the Hot Rods back on track on Wednesday at 7 p.m. CDT, facing Quad Cities' right-hander Dean Deetz (0-0, 7.71) from Modern Woodmen Park.
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