Ben Verlander went 4-for-5 at the plate with two RBI’s in Wednesday nights walk-off 3-2 loss to Quad Cities. Photo/Damien Dennis
[dropcap]B[/dropcap]en Verlander went 4-for-5 with two RBI’s Wednesday night, but it wasn’t enough as the Quad Cities River Bandits got a walk-off win in 11 innings over the West Michigan Whitecaps, 3-2.
Entering the sixth inning down 2-0, Raph Rhymes and Dominic Ficociello each tallied one-out singles before Verlander stepped up to the plate. The right fielder drove a liner to right filed that drove home both Ficociello and Rhymes to even the tally. Verlander was caught out later in the inning when he attempted to score from third, being thrown out at the plate off a bouncer.
The River Bandits did their damage in the first and 11th innings, tallying just two-hits in between.
Whitecaps’ starter Chad Green hiccuped early in the top of the first when the River Bandits rallied for four consecutive two-out hits to take a 2-0 lead early. Green held off runners following the shaky start, giving up just two runs and six hits in six innings.
Will LaMarche and Montreal Robertson, West Michigan relievers, added two hitless innings each before Quad Cities capitalized in the 11th.
James Ramsay led off the bottom of the 11th with a single against Julio Felix. A bunt and an intentional walk left runners at first and second when Felix answered with a three-pitch strikeout of Conrad Gregor.
Felix’s next pitch would also be his last, as Chase McDonald capped a 3-for-5 night with a line-drive single to right, plating Ramsay ahead of a wide throw to the plate for the 3-2 walk-off win. It was the second straight night that the game-winning hit came against Felix (1-1).
Zach Morton (1-0) earned the win out of the Quad Cities bullpen,working through trouble through the top of the 11th. West Michigan stranded runners at the corners to end the top half of the 11th.
West Michigan continues their six-game road trip tonight as they travel to Cedar Rapids to take on the Kernels at 7:35 p.m. ET. RHP Jonathon Crawford (0-1, 8.22 ERA) is scheduled to pitch for West Michigan against LHP Randy Rosario (0-1, 5.19 ERA).
