Bullpen’s Strong Showing Not Enough in Quad Cities’ Loss
Davenport, Iowa – Quad Cities’ relievers turned in 5.2-scoreless innings on Sunday, but the River Bandits failed to overcome an early deficit, as they lost their series finale with the Cubs 5-2 at Modern Woodmen Park. The Bandits never led in the contest and for the fourth time in the
Davenport, Iowa – Quad Cities’ relievers turned in 5.2-scoreless innings on Sunday, but the River Bandits failed to overcome an early deficit, as they lost their series finale with the Cubs 5-2 at Modern Woodmen Park.
The Bandits never led in the contest and for the fourth time in the six-game set, fell behind in the first inning, with an error and a two-run single off the bat of Jordan Nwogu giving South Bend the early 3-0 lead against starter Ryan Ramsey.
Quad Cities got a run back in the bottom half of the frame off Tyler Schlaffer on Jensen’s sixth RBI of the series, a run-scoring groundout, and then trimmed the deficit to one on Brett Squires’ third-inning RBI single.
After Ramsey rebounded with a perfect second and third inning, the Cubs got to him again in the fourth and scored two runs without allowing a hit. The left-hander dealt his season-high fifth walk of the game to Ed Howard with the bases loaded and was pulled from the game in favor of Chase Wallace. While he would close out the frame with back-to-back outs, Reivaj Garcia would squeak in the Cubs’ fifth run on a fielder’s choice.
Wallace’s day bridged the two-out gap between Ramsey and Shane Panzini, who in a piggyback start, allowed just three base runners over a 4.0-inning, six-strikeout performance to keep Quad Cities’ 5-2 deficit intact. However, the Bandits bats had similar struggles against the Cubs’ bullpen, with Koen Moreno (0.2 IP) and Nick Hull (3.0 IP), yielding just three Bandits base runners over the next 3.2 innings of the game.
Brandon Johnson posted a scoreless ninth to give the Bandits a final opportunity down three in the ninth, but Jose Romero dominated his way to his fifth save by striking out the side in order in Quad Cities’ half of the ninth.
With Schlaffer (4.1 IP, 2 R, 3 SO) working into the fifth but not completing the frame, it was Hull (2-3) who earned the win for the Cubs with his scoreless outing, while Ramsey (0-2) was tagged for his second loss in his second start of the year, allowing five runs (four earned) over 3.1 innings.
Having dropped five-straight series, the River Bandits will look to right the ship in Appleton next week, as they take on the Midwest League west division leading Wisconsin Timber Rattlers for the first of a six-game series on Tuesday, June 4 at Fox Cities Stadium.