Hot-hitting Bandits rout Hot Rods again, 9-2
BOWLING GREEN, Ky. - Third baseman J.D. Davis had his first career four-hit game, center fielder Brett Phillips homered for a second straight day, and right-hander Edison Frias pitched a season-high seven innings in the Quad Cities River Bandits' second straight 9-2 win over the Bowling Green Hot Rods at Bowling Green Ballpark Sunday afternoon.
Davis drove in the game's first run in the second inning on a double down the right-field line that scored River Bandits designated hitter Brian Holberton following the latter's leadoff single. Hot Rods right-hander Jake Faria (6-6) walked right fielder Ronnie Mitchell, and second baseman Dayne Parker sacrificed two runners into scoring position. Catcher Brett Booth singled to right field to score Davis, and when Booth was caught in a rundown on his way to second base, Mitchell scored to put the River Bandits up 3-0.
Frias (7-5) became the first seven-game winner of the season for Quad Cities (19-16 second half, 54-50 overall). But his first two pitches of the game were hit for singles by Hot Rods shortstop Juniel Querecuto and second baseman Kean Wong. Frias escaped trouble by getting a flyout, popup and groundout to begin a stretch in which he retired 12 of 13 batters.
In the top of the third inning, first baseman Chase McDonald hit a two-out double down the left-field line and scored when second baseman Kean Wong mishandled a ground ball by Holberton that got into center field. Davis then hit an infield single to third baseman Ty Young, and Mitchell hit an RBI single to center field for a 5-0 lead. Faria finished the inning but was charged with five runs - three earned - on six hits and a walk with two strikeouts in a season-low three innings.
Bowling Green (14-21, 46-58) reached the scoreboard in the fifth inning. Center fielder Julian Ridings led off with a single to right field, first baseman Alexander Simon doubled to center field, and Querecuto hit a one-out, two-run single to center field. Frias then retired the next eight batters - five on strikeouts - to last seven innings for the first time since Aug. 15, 2012. His eight strikeouts were a season high.
Following Faria, the Hot Rods used right-hander William Gabay for three scoreless innings. Right-hander Luis Cabrera entered with the 5-2 deficit and pitched a scoreless seventh inning. In the eighth, Cabrera allowed consecutive singles by Davis, Mitchell and Parker, who picked up his sixth RBI on the road trip. With two outs, Phillips smashed his ninth home run of the season to right field, bringing in three runs and extending the lead to 9-2. Cabrera was charged with four earned runs on six hits and two walks with one strikeout in three innings.
River Bandits left-hander Albert Minnis began the eighth inning with a groundout and allowed two hits in the final two innings but recorded the last five outs on strikeouts to post a new career high. Frias and Minnis combined to strike out 13 batters without a walk.
Back-to-back 9-2 scores gave Quad Cities consecutive wins by the same score for the first time since winning 5-2 Aug. 2, 2013, at home against Peoria, and Aug. 3, 2013, in Cedar Rapids. The River Bandits last had consecutive scores against the same opponent in a pair of 4-3 home losses to Bowling Green July 11-12, 2013. Quad Cities last won consecutive games by the same score against the same opponent Aug. 19-20, 2006, at home and then on the road against Burlington. The 2006 team also won consecutive 5-4 games in Clinton June 26-27.
Quad Cities has won seven of eight games and seeks its first-ever sweep in Bowling Green at 12:05 p.m. Monday. River Bandits right-hander Adrian Houser (4-4) is scheduled to face Hot Rods left-hander Bruedlin Suero (2-2).
UP NEXT: Gates open for the next River Bandits homestand at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, and the first 700 fans will receive a Jeff Bagwell Bobblehead courtesy of Hebrew National and CBS4 WHBF. Kids Eat Free and regular tickets are Buy-1-Get-1 Free for the 7 p.m. game. Tickets are available at www.riverbandits.com. To order any of the River Bandits 2014 ticket plans - with new lower prices - call the River Bandits box office at 563-324-3000. Season ticket and mini-plan packages start at just seven games and begin at less than $40. Call a River Bandits account representative today to choose your seats and get the details of our various mini-plan packages.
ABOUT THE BANDITS: Having just been named Ballpark Digest's winner of Best Ballpark Improvement in America under $1 million, the River Bandits ownership recently made one of the biggest improvements to Modern Woodmen Park since the ballpark was first built back in 1931! A new Ferris wheel, standing 105 feet over the playing field, opened May 24, and Space Camp opened June 20; the newly expanded 300-foot long zip line has also reopened. Soon to come is another new ride, this one called a "Drop and Twist." In 2013, the team unveiled a new 220-foot long dual zip line, a rock climbing wall, and a number of new bounce houses. Last season, the team's major league affiliate, the Houston Astros, saw all six of its affiliates reach the playoffs - the first time in a decade any MLB team can claim such success. The River Bandits were one of three affiliates to reach the championship round and one of two to win their league championship.