Davenport, IA – Stefan Trosclair homered for the Peoria Chiefs in a 4-1 loss to the Quad Cities River Bandits in game two of the Midwest League Playoffs first round. The series is tied 1-1 with a 6:35 p.m. first pitch for a winner-take-all game three on Friday at Modern Woodmen Park.
Quad Cities broke a scoreless tie in the third inning with Chiefs starter Austin Warner on the mound. Kristian Trompiz led off with a single to center and Marcos Almonte singled to right. Trompiz went to third when Chas McCormick grounded into a fielder’s choice and Colin Moran singled to plate Trompiz and give the River Bandits a 1-0 lead.
The River Bandits advantage was erased in the fourth. Stefan Trosclair led off with a homer to left field against Quad Cities starter Cristian Javier to tie the game, 1-1. The clout was Trosclair’s 16th of the year and the second playoff home run of his career after hitting one with the GCL Cardinals last season.
Quad Cities took the lead back against Warner in the fifth. Ray Henderson singled to left and with one out Almonte doubled to left, scoring Henderson and giving the River Bandits a 2-1 advantage. Almonte went to second on a throwing error and scored when McCormick hit a sacrifice fly to right, extending the Bandits lead to 3-1. In the sixth, Chuckie Robinson added a lead-off home run to give Quad Cities a 4-1 advantage.
The Chiefs got the tying run in the batter’s box in the ninth against Bandits reliever Salvador Montano. Kramer Robertson reached on an error and went to second when Trosclair walked but Evan Mendoza, who represented the tying run, grounded into a double play with Robertson going to third. Juan Yepez struck out swinging to end the game and force an elimination game on Friday.
Warner (0-1) went six innings in a loss, allowing four runs on eight hits with a strikeout. Ronnie Williams went one scoreless inning in relief, allowing one hit with two walks and a strikeout. Max Almonte threw a scoreless eighth without allowing a hit.
