Peoria, Illinois – Royals’ No. 5 prospect Blake Mitchell cranked two of Quad Cities’ season-high four home runs Tuesday, as the Quad Cities River Bandits (50-49, 20-16) flexed their way to a 7-3 win over the Peoria Chiefs (51-51, 19-17) in their first meeting at Dozer Park this year.
Chris Brito got the long ball party started in the second inning, taking Chiefs’ starter Jacob Odle over the right-center wall for his fourth home run of the season and his second in as many contests. Two batters later Jose Cerice extended his on-base streak to 27 games with a solo shot of his own, also the infielder’s fourth of the season.
Quad Cities extended its lead to 3-0 before the end of the second, with Angel Acosta driving in Tyriq Kemp’s single with an RBI-double. The second baseman is batting .338 with a .820 OPS since July 1.
The three-run advantage was more than enough for Quad Cities’ starter Jordan Woods. The left-hander allowed a solo shot to Chiefs’ catcher Sammy Hernandez in the third, but struck out six without issuing a walk over his 4.0-inning outing.
Odle gave way to Jawilme Ramirez in the fifth. The right-hander retired Asbel Gonzalez for the first out of the inning, before Mitchell tagged him for the first of his two home runs. Four batters later, the Bandits went up 5-1, as Brito scored on a wild pitch.
Following Woods’ departure, Rob Hensey struck out three and twirled 4.0-scoreless innings out of the Bandits’ bullpen, needing just 49 pitches to take the game to the ninth inning.
Mitchell gave Quad Cities a five-run lead in the seventh, clubbing his second solo bomb off Christian Worley before a Peoria error allowed the Bandits to go up 7-1 later in the frame. Mitchell finished the night tied for fifth in the Midwest League with 19 home runs this season.
Hernandez matched Mitchell’s two-homer game with his second of the night in the bottom of the ninth, taking Kamden Edge just inside the left field foul pole, but Edge would retire the next two Chiefs’ hitters to close out the game.
Hensey (1-0) earned his first River Bandits win in the effort, while Odle (2-2) struck out eight to climb within one of his season-high, but was saddled with the loss, allowing three runs on five hits and two walks.
Quad Cities returns to Dozer Park for game two of two of the six-game set tomorrow and sends Tanner Jones (3-6, 5.04) to the mound opposite Ty Van Dyke (3-3, 5.83). First pitch is scheduled for 6:35 p.m.