Reed, Sims keep Bandits alive with win over Bees

BURLINGTON, Iowa - A.J. Reed swatted a three-run home run and Blaine Sims gave up just one run while pitching into the seventh to lead the Quad Cities River Bandits to a 5-1 win over the Burlington Bees Saturday at Community Field.

Quad Cities (34-34 second half, 69-68 overall) moved to within one game of the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers (35-33) for the final second-half playoff spot in the Western Divison. The Peoria Chiefs (34-34) also won Saturday to stay in a tie with the River Bandits. Quad Cities must finish ahead of both Wisconsin and Peoria to make the playoffs for a second straight year. A win by Wisconsin in either of the next two games over Beloit or a loss by the Bandits in any of their last two games in Burlington (29-39, 67-70) will eliminate Quad Cities.

Marc Wik led off the game against Burlington starter Harrison Cooney by working out a walk following a nine-pitch at-bat. Ryan Bottger then singled him to second before Chase McDonald struck out. On a two-strike pitch to A.J. Reed, the Quad Cities designated hitter launched a three-run home run, his seventh of the season, to put the River Bandits up 3-0.

The River Bandits were able to get to Cooney again in the fourth when Wik doubled with two outs. Bottger, who set a season-high with three hits, lined a base hit to bring in Wik and make it 4-0. Cooney (9-8) took the loss by giving up four runs on nine hits in five innings. He walked two and fanned four. 

Sims (4-4) kept the Bees off-balance with his knuckleball, going 6+ innings while giving up a run on two hits with five walks and five strikeouts. With a 5-1 lead and Burlington runners on first and second with no outs, Raul Rivera relieved the southpaw and struck out Ismael Dionicio and Bo Way, who saw his 26-game on-base streak snapped in the loss. Rivera then got Kody Eaves to fly to center to end the threat.

Jordan Mills came on for Rivera with a runner on first and no outs to pitch a scoreless eighth before Frederick Tiburcio fanned two in a perfect ninth to finish things off.

The River Bandits will send Chris Lee (8-6, 3.80 ERA) to the mound at 2 p.m. tomorrow in Burlington to face Daniel Hurtado (2-3, 2.48).

UP NEXT: All three remaining River Bandits games will be live online at riverbandits.com and TuneIn Radio. At Modern Woodmen Park, amusements will be open on Labor Day Weekend on Saturday 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. to 10 p.m., as well as Sunday 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. On Labor Day, the ballpark will open with free admission at 4 p.m. for the Red, White and Boom Fireworks show scheduled for 8:30 p.m.

ABOUT THE BANDITS: Having just been named Ballpark Digest's winner of Best Ballpark Improvement in America under $1 million, the River Bandits ownership recently 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. In 2013, the team unveiled a new 220-foot long dual zip line, a rock climbing wall, and a number of new bounce houses. Last season, the team's major league affiliate, the Houston Astros, saw all six of its affiliates reach the playoffs - the first time in a decade any MLB team can claim such success. The River Bandits were one of three affiliates to reach the championship round and one of two to win their league championship.