Solo Shots Not Enough in Bandits' Loss to Chiefs

Davenport, Iowa – The Quad Cities River Bandits hit a pair of home runs on Tuesday but went 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position and fell to the Peoria Chiefs 4-3 at Modern Woodmen Park.

For the fourth time in five games, Quad Cities was forced to play from behind early, as Michael Curialle knocked an RBI infield-single off Ben Kudrna’s foot to give Peoria a 1-0 lead in the second. Although the River Bandits immediately tied the game on Spencer Nivens’ sacrifice-fly in the bottom half of the frame, a solo shot off the bat of Leonadro Bernal put the Chiefs back in front 2-1 in the third.

After Quad Cities’ starter, Kudrna, worked a season-low 1.2 innings, Ryan Ramsey worked a season-high 5.1 out of the bullpen, including a scoreless fourth and fifth innings, which allowed the Bandits to re-tie the game on Carter Jensen’s solo homer in the fifth, the catcher’s ninth dinger of the season.

Peoria didn’t wait long to respond though and jumped back in front 4-2 in the sixth on Johnfrank Salazar’s first High-A hit, a go-ahead two run blast.

Ramsey finished his night with a scoreless seventh before giving the ball to Chase Wallace. The right-hander saw Nivens strike again with a solo homer—his second in as many games—and kept the Bandits’ deficit at one with a perfect eighth and ninth innings on the mound.

While Quad Cities used an error, a hit batsman, and a wild pitch to put both the tying and winning runs in scoring position in the ninth, Nathanael Herredia struck out Jensen and got Jared Dickey to fly out and end the game with his fourth save of the season.

Chiefs’ starter Darlin Saladin (3-0) earned his third win in as many High-A starts—his second against Quad Cities—with 6.0 innings of two-run ball and eight strikeouts, while Ramsey (1-3) got saddled with the loss, allowing three runs on five hits, including two homers.

Osvaldo Berrios (4) earned a hold with 2.0-scoreless frames out of the Chiefs’ bullpen.

The River Bandits will look to snap their five-game losing streak on Wednesday, as they send Henry Williams (2-3, 4.35) to the mound opposite Peoria’s Hancel Rincon (5-5, 4.46). First pitch at Modern Woodmen Park is set for 6:30 p.m.