DAVENPORT, IA - The Quad Cities River Bandits scored five runs in the bottom of the first inning on Saturday night at Modern Woodmen Park and that was more than enough for starting pitcher Jose Bravo. The Bandits starting pitcher allowed one hit over six innings and earned a complete-game
DAVENPORT, IA - The Quad Cities River Bandits scored five runs in the bottom of the first inning on Saturday night at Modern Woodmen Park and that was more than enough for starting pitcher Jose Bravo. The Bandits starting pitcher allowed one hit over six innings and earned a complete-game shutout in a 5-0 win over the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers in a game shortened by rain and severe weather after six innings.
Quad Cities (42-23) jumped on Timber Rattlers starting pitcher Scott Sunitsch with five runs in the first inning. The inning started with a single, a walk, and a force play at second base to put runners at the corners. David Hensley's grounder up the middle was originally ruled an error but changed to a hit later in the evening to score the first run of the inning and put runners back on the corners. An errant pickoff throw to first by Sunitsch let the second run of the inning score.
Freudis Nova, who went 4-for-4 in Friday's game, followed with a single to drive in the run to make it 3-0.
A two-out walk extended the inning and Orlando Marquez and Carlos Machado followed with RBI singles to give the River Bandits a 5-0 lead and knock Sunitsch out of the game.
Wisconsin (31-37) managed one hit off River Bandits starting pitcher Jose Bravo. David Fry had a one-out single in the top of the first inning. However, he was erased on an inning-ending double play. Then, Bravo retired the Rattlers in order from the second through the sixth inning to retire the final sixteen batters he faced in the game. The double play also allowed Bravo to face the minimum number of batters - eighteen - over six innings. He struck out seven in the game.
Wisconsin's bullpen was solid and kept the River Bandits at five runs. Pete Strzelecki took over for Sunitsch and got the final out of the first inning. Strzelecki would pitch a total of three innings with six strikeouts. Robbie Hitt worked 2-1/3 scoreless frames with a strikeout in relief of Strzelecki.
The weather was threatening the entire game and it finally started to rain during the bottom of the sixth inning. The tarp went on the field after the final out of the inning and - with the rain falling harder and severe thunderstorms on the way - the game was called about 30 minutes after play was stopped.
The Timber Rattlers and River Bandits conclude the first half schedule on Sunday afternoon at Modern Woodmen Park. Logan Gillaspie (1-3, 4.05) is the scheduled starting pitcher for Wisconsin. Quad Cities has named Jose Rivera (1-3, 9.92) as their starter. Game time is 1:15pm. The radio broadcast is on AM1280, WNAM and the TuneIn Radio app starting with the Papa John's Pizza Pregame Show at 12:55pm. MiLB.tv subscribers can watch the game over the internet.
