Wolters’ 11 Strikeouts Fuel Bandits' Shutout Win Over Chiefs

Peoria, Illinois – Royals’ No. 22 prospect Blake Wolters struck out a career-high 11 over 6.0 scoreless innings Thursday, as the Quad Cities River Bandits (52-49, 22-16) shut out the Peoria Chiefs (52-49, 19-19) 7-0 at Dozer Park.

The scoreless effort marks the River Bandits’ seventh as a pitching staff this season, while Wolters’ quality start marked his second in as many outings and Quad Cities’ 15th as a rotation in 2026.

The Bandits’ bats gave their right-hander an early advantage against Peoria starter Jack Martinez, jumping in front 2-0 in the top of the second inning on Erick Torres’s RBI-single and Angel Acosta’s RBI-double.

Torres helped Quad Cities tack on another in the fourth, driving in Tyriq Kemp with a sacrifice-fly for a 3-0 River Bandits advantage.

After hitting Nolan Sailors with a pitch and walking Asbel Gonzalez, Martinez was pulled in favor of Trey Pooser two batters into the top of the fifth. Following the right-hander’s walk of Blake Mitchell, Chris Brito’s RBI-groundout gave Quad Cities a four-run lead. Five pitches later, Derlin Figueroa blasted the Bandits ahead 7-0 with a three-run homer, his team-leading 22nd of the season.

The total ties Wisconsin’s Braylon Payne for the most in the Midwest League this year and matches Matt Adams’ 2010 mark for the most home runs in a single season for a River Bandits’ hitter since 1977.

After Wolters struck out the side in the sixth inning to end his night, Nick Conte (1.0 IP) and Aiden Jimenez (2.0 IP) combined to allow just two Chiefs baserunners over the final third of the game out of Quad Cities’ bullpen, with Jimenez extending a scoreless inning streak to 9.0 in the process.

Wolters (3-7) surrendered just two hits and did not walk a batter in his winning effort, while Martinez (1-2) gave up five runs, two earned, on four hits, two walks, and five strikeouts en route to the loss.

Quad Cities returns to Dozer Park for game four of the six-game set tomorrow night with a chance to claim its ninth series win of the season and the club’s fifth in the second half. Royals’ No. 3 prospect David Shields (8-5, 4.37) is slated to start for the Bandits opposite Peoria’s Cade Crossland (High-A debut). First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m.