Bandits outlast Timber Rattlers Tuesday

GRAND CHUTE, Wisc. - The Quad Cities River Bandits held on for a 6-5 win over the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers Tuesday afternoon at Fox Cities Stadium. Ronnie Dawson and JonathanArauz each had three hits in the win, with Dawson homering and collecting two RBI while Arauz scored twice, including the game-winner, to pace the offense. Erasmo Pinales did not allow a hit over the final three innings, earning his fourth save of the season.

Quad Cities (4-2, 41-33) is now 3-0 in one-run games in the second half after going 5-10 in games decided by the slimmest of margins prior to the All-Star break. The Bandits scored first Tuesday when Arauz doubled to lead off the first inning and scored on a two-out single by Wander Franco . Wisconsin (2-4, 28-46) responded with two runs on four singles in the home first. A first-and-third play would add another run in the second.
Dawson got the Bandits on the comeback trail with a solo homer to lead off the fourth inning. It was his seventh of the season and second in four games. The Bandits then regained the lead when they scored three runs on five hits and an error in the fifth. Wisconsin immediately answered with two solo homers in the home fifth to re-tie the game. But the Bandits got back on the board the next inning. After the first two outs were recorded by new reliever Miguel Sanchez , Arauz tripled to right-center then, after a pair of walks, scored on a wild pitch to put the Bandits up in the sixth, which would prove to be the game-winner. Arauz finished the day a home run shy of the cycle.

Sanchez (2-4) allowed just one run on one hit and two walks but suffered the loss. Gabriel Valdez (W, 2-0) allowed five runs in six innings for Quad Cities, allowing nine hits including the two homers, while striking out four to get the win. Pinales walked two and hit a batter but did not allow a hit in three scoreless innings to close out the Rattlers. The Bandits stranded runners at the corners in the ninth to preserve the win.
The Bandits are now nine games over .500 for the season, their best overall record of 2017. Quad Cities looks to take the series a day early on Wednesday night at 7:05 p.m. CT. Forrest Whitley (2-3, 3.29) gets the start for Quad Cities against Zack Brown (2-3, 4.99) for Wisconsin. You can join Jake Levy for the live radio broadcast beginning at 6:50 on 1170 AM K-BOB, riverbandits.com and the TuneIn app.