Ramirez’s Five-RBI Day Fuels Bandits’ Walk-Off Win

Davenport, Iowa – Royals’ No. 7 prospect Ramon Ramirez exploded for two doubles, a home run, and five RBI Wednesday, as the Quad Cities River Bandits defeated the Lansing Lugnuts in walk-off fashion 6-5 at Modern Woodmen Park.

While the game remained scoreless through the first third of the contest, Ramirez opened the run production against Lansing starter Steven Echavarria in the fourth, driving in Asbel Gonzalez with his first double.

After Quad Cities’ starter Emmanuel Reyes tossed 4.0-scoreless innings for the second-straight outing, the Lugnuts threatened against Kamden Edge in the fifth and took the lead behind a three-run home run from Davis Diaz, his first of the season and Lansing’s fifth to start the series.

Edge and Hunter Alberini kept the Nuts off the board in the sixth, allowing Ramirez to launch his season’s second home run—a two-run blast off Echavarria to tie the game 3-3.

Lansing’s starter ultimately completed his club’s second-straight quality start to begin the series, allowing the three runs over a season-high 6.0-inning effort with three strikeouts.

The Lugnuts immediately retook the lead in the seventh, jumping ahead against Alberini via Rodney Green Jr.’s RBI-single.

After Ryan Brown completed a scoreless bottom of the seventh out of Lansing’s bullpen, Ramirez struck again in the eighth, driving in two more against Ryan Magdic on his game’s second double.

Quad Cities entered the ninth with a 5-4 lead, but after Yimi Presinal began the inning by walking Jared Sprague-Lott, Diaz came through in a two-out, two-strike count and tied the game with an RBI-single past a diving Derlin Figueroa at third.

Lansing reliever Jake Garland ran into a similar problem in the bottom of the ninth though, as Jose Cerice singled to begin the inning. After walking Tyriq Kemp, Erick Torres put down a sacrifice bunt to move the pair into scoring position.

With Nolan Sailors due up, Lansing opted to walk the Bandits’ leadoff man and load the bases with one out for Gonzalez. The Royals’ No. 16 prospect then drove the game-winning single into center field on the first pitch he saw.

Presinal (1-0) was credited with the win in Quad Cities 6-5 victory, while Garland (0-1) was saddled with the loss, retiring just one of the five Bandits batters he faced.

The River Bandits and Lugnuts return to Modern Woodmen Park for game three of the six-game set Thursday night, as Quad Cities sends Mason Miller (0-0, 8.38) to the hill to face Lansing’s Samuel Dutton (0-2, 5.54). First pitch is scheduled for 6:30 p.m.