TinCaps Fall in Championship Series

DAVENPORT, Iowa - The TinCaps lost Game 3 of the Midwest League Championship Series to the Quad Cities River Bandits (Houston Astros), 12-2, on Saturday night at a packed Modern Woodmen Park. The River Bandits' win clinched the Midwest League Championship for Quad Cities, with a 3-0 advantage in the best-of-five series.

Quad Cities' offense, which led the Midwest League in runs scored in the regular season, wasted no time scoring on Saturday. The River Bandits loaded the bases in the bottom of the first inning for Troy Sieber who doubled to knock in two runs for a 2-0 Quad Cities lead. After a walk loaded the bases again, Josh Rojas hit a sacrifice fly to center field to score another run for a 3-0 advantage.
 
The River Bandits broke the game open in the second inning, scoring six runs, all with two outs. Chuckie Robinson and Abraham Toro both had an RBI double in the frame. Additionally, two bases-loaded walks swelled the scoring, plus a Kristian Trompiz single scored two more runs to extend the River Bandits' edge to 9-0.
 
Quad Cities added to its lead in the third. With Robinson at third base and one out, Toro singled, scoring Robinson and giving the River Bandits a 10-0 lead.
 
The Bandits added an exclamation point in the fifth. With Major League rehabber Colin Moran at first base, Chuckie Robinson homered over the left-field wall for a 12-0 Quad Cities advantage.
 
Fort Wayne struggled offensively against Quad Cities starting pitcher Ronel Blanco  (W). The 24-year-old right-hander struck out a career-high 10 batters in 6 2/3 scoreless innings on the mound.
 
The TinCaps' lone runs came after Blanco left the game in the top of the seventh. With two outs, both left fielder Robbie Podorsky  and second baseman Justin Lopez  worked walks. Center fielder Jack Suwinski followed with a double down the left-field line, scoring both Podorsky and Lopez to put Fort Wayne on the board. Both runs were scored against River Bandits reliever Yohan Ramirez.
 
Fort Wayne starting pitcher Adrian Morejon  (L) allowed six runs and five hits in 1 2/3 innings. The 18-year-old from Cuba walked three batters and struck out two.
 
The TinCaps finished the season as Midwest League Eastern Division Champions for the third time in franchise history, with the only league title coming in 2009.
 
Next Game
Thursday, April 5, 2018 @ Lake County