Bandits out-duel Kernels, clinch home field

DAVENPORT, Iowa -- The Quad Cities River Bandits got 16 strikeouts between Cristian Javier  and Kit Scheetz  in a 1-0 win over the Cedar Rapids Kernels Saturday night in front of 6,378 fans at Modern Woodmen Park. Javier went five scoreless frames, allowing just one hit, while Scheetz pitched the last four frames of the shutout. Wander Franco  singled home the game's only run with two outs in the second. With the win, the Bandits clinch home-field advantage in the first round of the playoffs.

The Bandits (40-22, 77-53) and Kernels (32-30, 71-62) have now split the first two of the four-game series at Modern Woodmen Park. Javier (2-0) got the win, striking out ten over five scoreless innings with one hit and one walk while Scheetz (S, 1) allowed two hits and struck out six over four frames for his first save. The 16 combined strikeouts were one shy of the River Bandits season high. Tyler Wells  (5-3) allowed one run on four hits and three walks while striking out four to suffer the loss.
The Bandits can clinch a Western Division second-half title in game three of the set, which is scheduled for Sunday, August 27, at 1:15 p.m. CDT with Carlos Sanabria (4-3, 3.38) taking the mound for Quad Cities against Tyler Beardsley  (4-7, 5.16) for the Kernels. Gates will open at 12:15 for the penultimate Family Sunday of 2017. The broadcast is available live with Jake Levy on 1170 AM K-BOB, riverbandits.com and the TuneIn app; simulcast on MiLB.TV.