Bravo's Pitching and Two Big Innings Lead Bandits Past Bees

The Quad Cities River Bandits scored four runs in two different innings to beat the Burlington Bees 8-3 in front of 3,819 fans on Wednesday night at Modern Woodmen Park. Three Bandits pitchers limited Burlington to just three hits. Starter Jose Bravo allowed one hit over 6.0 scoreless innings to earn his second win of the season.
The River Bandits (21-17, 64-40) came up with their first big inning of the night right out of the chute. Michael Wielansky led off the bottom of the first inning by driving a ball off of the wall in the right center gap for a triple. That extra-base hit was immediately followed by a Cesar Salazar base hit that gave Quad Cities a 1-0 lead. The next two at bats featured an Austin Dennis single and Alex McKenna walk that loaded the bases. Freudis Nova ripped his team-leading 17^th double of the season down the left field line to score two more and increase the lead to 3-0. Grae Kessinger then worked a walk off of Bees starter Luis Alvarado, before David Hensley lined a sacrifice fly to center field that added one more to the total.
Despite the Bandits being unable to add to that lead over the middle innings, the work of Bravo maintained the four-run advantage until the offense exploded again in the sixth. That frame began with six consecutive base hits off of Burlington reliever Parker Joe Robinson. Oscar Campos collected the first run batted in of the inning with a single and then stayed in a rundown long enough between first and second that another was able to come home before he was tagged out. Wielansky's second triple of the evening pushed the margin to 7-0 and then Wielansky also scored on Salazar's third hit of the night to make it 8-0. 

Bravo was finishing his warm-up pitches prior to the seventh inning when he was forced to leave alongside athletic trainer Alana Ranucci. Danny Cody followed by making his River Bandits debut. The 17^th round pick in this year's draft allowed three runs on two hits and three walks. Hunter Martin finished the game with 1.2 scoreless innings, allowing just one hit.
Every member of the Bandits lineup managed at least one hit to get the team to its total of 13. Salazar led the way by going 3-4 with two runs batted in. Wielansky and Kessinger also collected two hits each.
The series will shift to Community Field in Burlington for the final two games. First pitch on Thursday night is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. RHP Lupe Chavez (0-1, 5.68) will work for the River Bandits on the mound. Burlington's starter remains to be announced.
All River Bandits games are broadcast on 1170 K-BOB and TuneIn Radio. Home games are also available with video on MiLB.TV.