Pelzer, Figueroa Go Back-to-Back; Quad Cities Falls to Cedar Rapids

Davenport, Iowa – Luke Pelzer and Derlin Figueroa launched back-to-back home runs for Quad Cities (33-40, 3-7) Wednesday, but the River Bandits were defeated by the Cedar Rapids Kernels (33-41, 2-8) 9-7 at Modern Woodmen Park.

The ballgame, which featured five lead changes, saw Quad Cities strike first against Kernels starter Riley Quick, as Asbel Gonzalez singled, advanced to third on an error by catcher Eduardo Tait, and then scored on a balk.

Cedar Rapids would jump in front itself in the very next half inning, taking a 2-1 lead on a two-run home run off the bat of Caden Kendel.

River Bandits’ starter David Shields rebounded after the long ball by retiring the next ten Kernels hitters he faced including six of his night’s seven strikeouts. Quick worked similarly, setting down 10 of the final 11 batters he faced with seven strikeouts of his own.

Cedar Rapids got back to Shields in the fifth and extended its lead to 4-1 on Brandon Winokur’s sacrifice-fly and Dameury Pena’s RBI-single. The latter knocked Shields from the game after a 4.2-inning effort.

Right-hander Nick Conte followed Shields out of the bullpen and struck out Tait to end the fifth before tossing a perfect top of the sixth.

Quad Cities got a run back in the bottom of the frame, with Angel Acosta plating Jose Cerice on an RBI-single, but the real damage was done in the sixth. The River Bandits struck for five-straight two-out hits off Kernels’ right-hander Cole Peschl, including Pelzer’s and Figueroa’s solo shots—their third and 16th of the year respectively—an RBI-triple from Tyriq Kemp, and another RBI-single from Acosta to bounce ahead 6-4.

The back-to-back jacks marked the third time the River Bandits have homered in consecutive at-bats this season.

Quad Cities’ reliever Kamden Edge took the mound for the seventh, but surrendered a game-tying two-run homer to Graham Brown three batters into his night.

Luke Pelzer, who after Wednesday is batting a High-A-best .525 (21-for-40) with two outs and runners in scoring position, came to Edge’s aid in the bottom half and put the Bandits back in front 7-6, tagging Peschel for a fifth run with a go-ahead RBI-single.

Edge struck out Tait to begin the top of the eighth, but after walking back-to-back Kernels hitters, was shelved for Yimi Presinal. The first man he faced, Danny De Andrade, tied the game with an RBI-groundout before Cedar Rapids took the lead for good on Yasser Mercedes’ RBI-single.

The Kernels tacked on an insurance against Presinal in the ninth, moving up 9-7 on a Tait sacrifice-fly.

Mitch Mueller (2-0) completed a scoreless eighth and ninth on the mound for Cedar Rapids, striking out four and facing the minimum en route to his second High-A win. Edge (2-1) was charged with the loss and a blown save (2), allowing four runs over 1.1 innings of relief.

Quad Cities returns to Modern Woodmen Park for game three of the six-game set tomorrow night and sends Royals’ top prospect (MLB Pipeline) Kendry Chourio (0-1, 5.06) to the hill opposite the Kernels’ Ivran Romero (2-4, 8.93). First pitch is set for 6:30 p.m.