Ninth Inning Rally Falls Short, Quad Cities Drops Fourth Straight

Davenport, Iowa – The Quad Cities River Bandits got the tying run to third in the bottom of the ninth on Wednesday, but failed to score, as they fell to the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers 3-2 at Modern Woodmen Park for their fourth consecutive loss.

After scoring 17 runs the night before, the Timber Rattlers took as quick of a two-run lead as possible, jumping on River Bandits’ starter Adrian Alcantara with Tyler Black’s first-pitch single, then a two-run homer off the bat of Zavier Warren on the very next offering. However, that’s all the right-hander would allow over his 5.0-innings start.

While their starter rebounded quickly. Quad Cities’ offense—which entered the contest with Minor League Baseball’s lowest batting average, on-base percentage, and slugging percentage over the last eight days—failed to crack into the run column against Antoine Kelly until the fifth inning and took advantage of a Carlos Rodriguez error that allowed Kale Emshoff to reach second to open the inning. Two batters later, Dillan Shrum plated the Q.C. designated hitter with a sacrifice-fly to make it a one-run game.

After Christian Chamberlain tossed a scoreless frame in the top of the sixth, Kelly worked two outs into the sixth, but allowed a single to Tyler Gentry before departing. Gentry would eventually come across to tie the game, as Emshoff collected his fourth RBI in the last two games with a single into left against Kent Hasler.

In the top of the eighth, the Timber Rattlers got on the board for the first time since the opening inning and tagged Anderson Paulino for a run, as Tristan Peters gave Wisconsin the lead with a swinging bunt that plated Joe Gray Jr.—who reached with a leadoff double—from third.

Cam Robinson kept the one-run lead intact, retiring the heart of the Bandits’ order on seven pitches, but allowed a leadoff walk to Kale Emshoff in the bottom of the ninth.

After Burle Dixon entered the game as a pinch runner and moved his way to third on a sacrifice-bunt and a ground ball, Shrum worked a nine-pitch at-bat with two outs, but struck out to end the game and give Robinson his sixth save of the season.

Hasler (2-0) got the win for Wisconsin with 1.1 innings of scoreless baseball out of the bullpen, while Paulino (0-5) took his fifth loss of the year, allowing one run in 3.0 innings of relief.

Quad Cities will look to snap their skid on Thursday at Modern Woodmen Park, as they’ll start Charlie Neuweiler (0-1, 4.73) against the T-Ratts’ Justin Jarvis (1-2, 6.66). First pitch is scheduled for 6:30pm.