Q-C tags Clinton starter for 6 runs in 4-plus innings

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By Steve Batterson | Friday, June 27, 2008 11:29 PM CDT | () comments

CLINTON, Iowa — Neftali Feliz is human after all.

Quad-City hitters did Friday what other Midwest League batters have struggled to do lately against the Clinton pitcher en route to a 6-3 victory at Alliant Energy Field.

The River Bandits tagged the right-hander for six runs in 42/3 innings, more runs than Feliz had allowed in his previous six starts combined.

Feliz entered the game perched atop the Midwest League strikeout charts, having struck out 93 while scattering 47 hits over 741/3 innings.

Thirty of those strikeouts came in his past three starts, and Feliz only added to those totals early against Quad-Cities, dominating with a fastball clocked at 94-to-96 mph to strike out eight through four innings.

“This was all about being ready to get after it from the first pitch,’’ Bandits shortstop Pete Kozma said. “He will overpower you with his fastball if he can, but you have to be ready. It’s easy to be ready when you know there is a good challenge out there.’’

Quad-Cities did more than add to the strikeout total of Feliz. They also hit him hard.

Feliz, who joined the Rangers organization a year ago as part of a seven-player deal that sent Mark Teixeira to the Braves, gave up a season-high eight hits in an outing that ended when the Bandits’ Matt Arburr belted a two-run homer as Quad-Cities added to a lead that reached 6-1 during a four-run fourth inning.

“The approach was to find a good fastball to hit,’’ Arburr said. “There wasn’t much break to it, and we knew he would be around the plate and we knew he would be bringing it at 96, 97 miles an hour.’’

Kozma scored twice after reaching with one out in both the first and third innings. He scored on a double by Francisco Rivera in the top half of the opening inning and crossed home on a double by Arburr two innings later.

Quad-Cities chased Feliz from the game with four hits in the fourth, adding to its lead with a slow-rolling RBI infield single by Kozma and a sacrifice fly by Rivera.

“We knew their guy would have good stuff and we came through with good at-bats,’’ Bandits manager Steve Dillard said. “That’s what you always hope for, but when a guy is bringing it in the mid-90s like that, it can be easier said than done.’’

River Bandits starter Mark Diapoules (5-1) scattered just two hits and allowed one earned run over 62/3 innings to earn his first win since May 29.

“We’ve worked on his delivery a bit, but his mindset was aggressive from the start and he got himself going,’’ Quad-Cities pitching coach Ace Adams said.

Bandits scoreboard

The score

River Bandits 6, LumberKings 3

On deck

Quad-Cities River Bandits at Clinton LumberKings, 7 p.m. today, Alliant Energy Field, Clinton, Iowa. Probable pitchers: Quad-Cities, Richard Castillo (1-0, 0.00); Clinton, Derek Holland (6-0, 2.92). Going Green Night cloth tote bag giveaway and WQAD postgame fireworks

Taking the lead

Matt Arburr’s third home run in four games allowed him to move to the top of the Quad-Cities’ home run charts.

Arburr’s two-run homer in the fifth inning was the 12th of the season for the River Bandits infielder, moving him past Tommy Pham.

Neighborhood news

Quad-Cities and Clinton might be the Midwest League’s closest rivals, but the teams met for the first time since April 16.

The River Bandits won 2 of 3 games during the opening half against the Western Division first-half champs, but they’ll see a lot more of Clinton in upcoming weeks. Friday’s game was the first of 11 the teams will play during the second half.

In the house

A crowd of 4,909 was on hand for Thrivent Night activities at Alliant Energy Field, an evening that included recognition of Gateway area competitors in Special Olympics.

Period of adjustment

Quad-Cities is facing Clinton during a transition period.

Renny Osuna and Ian Gac, two of the LumberKings’ top three hitters, were promoted Thursday by the Rangers to high-A Bakersfield.

Osuna, who ranked second in the Midwest League with a .360 batting average, hit safely in his 19th straight game Thursday while making his California League debut. Gac was promoted while leading the league with 19 homers and 60 RBIs and a .592 slugging percentage.

The box score

Q-C ab r h bi Clinton ab r h bi

Chambers lf 5 1 1 0 James ss 3 1 1 1

Kozma ss 4 3 2 1 Stoneburner 2b 4 0 1 0

Rivera 1b 3 0 2 2 Smith dh 4 0 1 1

Arburr dh 4 1 2 3 Moreland 1b 4 0 0 0

Kingrey rf 4 0 0 0 Santana lf 4 0 0 0

Pham cf 3 0 0 0 Greene 3b 4 0 0 0

Vazquez c 4 0 1 0 Alfonzo rf 4 0 0 0

Bolivar 3b 4 0 0 0 Felix c 1 1 0 0

Marmol 2b 4 1 1 0 Murphy cf 3 1 2 0

Totals 35 6 9 6 Totals 32 3 5 2

Quad-Cities 101 040 000 — 6

Clinton 001 001 100 — 3

E — Kozma, Marmol, Diapoules. LOB — Quad-Cities 5; Clinton 5. 2B — Rivera, Vazquez, Arburr. HR — Arburr (12). SB — Kozma (8); James 2 (8). SF — Rivera.

Quad-Cities IP H R ER BB SO

Diapoules (W, 5-2) 62/3 2 3 1 3 5

Gonzalez 21/3 3 0 0 0 0

Clinton

Feliz (L, 6-3) 42/3 8 6 6 2 8

Turner 11/3 0 0 0 0 1

Tatusko 3 1 0 0 0 1

WP — Feliz. Balk — Feliz. PB — Felix. U — Nate Thompson, Brandon Misun. T — 2:31. A — 4,909

Steve Batterson can be contacted at (563) 383-2290 or sbatterson@qctimes.com. Comment on this story at qctimes.com.