Bats Cool Off in 6-1 Loss to River Bandits

DAVENPORT, IOWA – In a seesaw series it was Quad Cities this time that responded the night after a loss with a complete performance in their 6-1 win.

Charlie Neuweiler, coming off his best performance of the season, went six innings for the second straight time and allowed just one run on four base hits. He set the tone on the rubber for the home side, who entered the night tied for the worst record in the league at 23-38.

Kohl Franklin got the starting nod for the Cubs and looked strong, allowing just one run over a season-high-tying three innings. He allowed a bloop single to center off the bat of Dillan Shrum with one out in the second and following two wild pitches Shrum wound up at third. Morgan McCullough drew a walk and with two outs he tried to steal second. The throw down from Casey Opitz was in time but McCullough stopped and tried to give time for Shrum to go steal home. The throw to the plate from Fabian Pertuz was late and the River Bandits took the lead on the double steal.

Pertuz came up to leadoff the next inning and legged out an infield single. Luis Verdugo, in his second appearance of the series, banged a single of his own to right and the Cubs were in business. A wild pitch moved Verdugo to second and the Cubs had runners at second and third with no outs.

A Yeison Santana ground out to second tied the game but the Cubs had an opportunity with a runner at third and just one away and Jonathan Sierra, who entered the game after Jordan Nwogu exited, grounded into an inning ending double play.

Joe Nahas replaced Franklin in the fourth inning and coming in he had only allowed one run this month. The first three batters reached against him, including a pair of walks. A sac-fly to center from McCullough gave the River Bandits a 2-1 lead. Nahas made a stellar play on a tapper up the first base line, delivering a money strike to Opitz at the plate to get out Kale Emshoff. With the bases loaded and no outs Nahas got out of the jam allowing just the one run.

In the fifth inning however he was not as fortunate. Tyler Tolbert singled and on an errant pickoff attempt he advanced all the way to third. Luca Tresh singled him in and two batters later Emshoff launched a two-run blast to left-center field. 5-1 River Bandits.

They would add one more in the seventh and take the game 6-1. Nahas was tagged with just his second loss of the season and Emilio Marquez, who made his third appearance of the series, got the save tossing the final three innings in shutout fashion. Neuweiler picked up his fourth win.

The Cubs need a win in Sunday's finale to avoid a third straight series loss to Quad Cities this season. Tomorrow's game will start at 2 ET.