Kemp, Sailors Homer; Bandits Top Kernels in Series-Opener

Davenport, Iowa – Tyriq Kemp and Nolan Sailors both hit opposite-field two-run homers Tuesday, as the Quad Cities River Bandits (33-39, 3-6) defeated the Cedar Rapids Kernels (32-41, 1-8) 8-3 in game one of a six-game series at Modern Woodmen Park.

While the duo both left the yard for Quad Cities in the sixth, it was Kernels shortstop Brandon Winokur who struck for the first long ball of the game, taking starter Emmanuel Reyes deep over the left field wall on the right-hander first pitch of the contest to give Cedar Rapids an immediate 1-0 lead.

After the homer, Reyes retired 12 of the next 13 batters he faced and saw his left fielder Luke Pelzer tie the game 1-1 with an RBI-double off Yehizon Sanchez in the third.

Despite working scorlessly and striking out five, Kernels starter Dasan Hill pitched just 1.2 innings and gave way to Sanchez before the end of the second due to injury.

Cedar Rapids broke the tie in the fifth and went ahead on another home run, as Henry Kusiak ripped a solo shot before Miguel Briceno’s single set up Luis Hernandez’s RBI-double one batter later.

Despite the surge, Reyes finished the frame and made a successful return to the mound with a scoreless top of the sixth.

Sanchez took the Kernels through the fourth before handing the ball to Nick Trabacchi for the fifth. The right-hander started his night with a perfect frame, but Quad Cities’ bats came to life an inning later.

While Trabacchi got Jose Cerice to pop up immediately after walking Derlin Figueroa to begin the Bandits’ have of the sixth, Kemp tied the game 3-3 with his two-run home run, his sixth of the season. Two batters later, following Angel Acosta’s second of two hits, Sailors blasted the Bandits ahead with his second of the season, both of which have come against Cedar Rapids.

Working with a 5-3 lead, Quad Cities’ left-hander Mason Miller needed just seven pitches to quiet the Kernels in the seventh, while Tyson Guerrero got help from a double play to complete a scoreless eighth.

The appearance marks Guerrero’s first in Davenport since 2023, as the left-hander joined the River Bandits as part of a Triple-A rehabilitation assignment prior to first pitch.

The bottom of the order came through for Quad Cities again with a three-run eighth. After Cerice singled and Kemp doubled to begin the inning, a wild pitch from Cedar Rapids’ reliever Adam Falinski allowed Cerice to score from third before Acosta plated Kemp with a sacrifice-fly.

Four batters later, after a pair of two out walks to Asbel Gonzalez and Blake Mitchell forced Brian Zeldin into the game for Falinski, Pelzer made it 8-3 Quad Cities with an RBI-single.

In addition to leading the Midwest League with a .344 average overall. The outfielder is batting a High-A best .513 with two outs and runners in scoring position this season.

LP Langevin closed out the game on the mound for the River Bandits and struck out the side in the ninth.

Reyes (6-3) earned the win and struck out five in his team-leading fourth quality start of the season, while Trabacchi (2-1) was charged with a loss and a blown save for the Kernels after allowing four runs in 2.0 innings of relief.

Quad Cities returns to Modern Woodmen Park for game two of the six-game series tomorrow night and sends Royals’ No. 4 prospect (MLB Pipeline) David Shields (6-4, 3.80) to the mound against Cedar Rapids’ Riley Quick (0-2, 4.86). First pitch is set for 6:30 p.m.