Shields Twirls in Bandits’ Win Over T-Rats

Appleton, Wisconsin – Royals’ No. 4 prospect David Shields shut out the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers (48-36, 14-8) over the first five frames of a seven-inning contest Saturday, as the Quad Cities River Bandits (43-42, 13-9) claimed a 6-2 win at Neuroscience Group Field at Fox Cities Stadium.

The contest was scheduled to be the first of two games between the west division rivals, but deteriorating air quality forced the cancelation of the doubleheader’s night cap. The contest will not be made up.

After a double play helped Shields escape a small first-inning jam, Quad Cities’ bats struck for three in the third against Rattlers’ starter Jayden Dubanewicz, beginning with a solo shot off the bat of Nolan Sailors, his fourth of the season. Jose Cerice drove home Asbel Gonzalez with an RBI-single before a wild pitch allowed Cerice to score from third later in the inning and make it 3-0 River Bandits.

Shields picked up three of his night’s four strikeouts before punching out the side in order in the fourth. The left-hander’s season total, now up to 96, ties for the most in the Midwest League this year.

Quad Cities doubled its advantage to 6-0 in the fifth against Wisconsin reliver Jason Woodward, as Luke Pelzer tripled in Blake Mitchell before Derlin Figueroa and Erick Torress each delivered a sacrifice-fly.

LP Langevin took over on the mound for the River Bandits after Shields’ departure and matched his season-high with four strikeouts of his own, but a catching error on Angel Acosta in the sixth ended Quad Cities’ shutout bid.

Tayden Hall homered off Langevin in the bottom of the seventh, cutting the Bandits’ lead to 6-2. The right-hander would retire the subsequent three Wisconsin hitters to end the game.

Shields’ (8-4) win marked his fifth over his last seven starts and saw the southpaw strand just two hits while not issuing a walk. Dubanewicz (2-3) was saddled with the loss, allowing three runs on five hits, one walk, and one strikeout.

Quad Cities concludes its now three-game weekend series against the Timber Rattlers tomorrow afternoon and sends Royals’ top prospect Kendry Chourio (1-1, 3.20) to the mound for a 1:10 p.m. first pitch.