Mitchell homer not enough as River Bandits fall to Lugnuts

LANSING, Mich. — Royals top prospect Blake Mitchell launched his team-leading seventh home run of the season Thursday, but the Quad Cities River Bandits lost their sixth consecutive game, allowing 17 hits and falling to the Lansing Lugnuts 12-3 at Jackson Field.

Quad Cities had to play from behind as early as the opening frame, as an error and RBI singles from Myles Naylor and C.J. Pittaro gave Lansing a 4-0 lead in the first inning against Bandits starter Tanner Jones.

The right-hander ran into more difficulties in the second, when the Bandits fell behind 6-0 on Ali Camarrillo’s sacrifice fly and Devin Taylor’s RBI double.

Mitchell’s home run, strung together with an RBI triple from Tyriq Kemp and an RBI groundout off the bat of Nolan Sailors, trimmed Quad Cities’ deficit to 6-3 in the third, but the trio of tallies would be the only runs allowed by Lansing starter Zane Taylor, who completed the Lugnuts’ third straight quality start to open the series and the club’s sixth in a row overall.

While Jones was able to complete a four-inning effort, Devin Fien got a run back for Lansing in his final frame, driving in Camarrillo with an RBI single in the fourth.

The switch-hitter struck again in the sixth, doubling in a run against Cory Ronan before Pittaro put the Lugnuts back up by six with his second RBI single of the game.

RBI singles from Camarrillo and Naylor and the second RBI double from Devin Taylor gave the Nuts their 12-3 lead in the seventh against Yimi Presinal.

Quad Cities had no answers for Lansing’s bullpen, as Jack Mahoney, Gerlin Rosario and Jose Dicochea each completed scoreless innings to close out the game.

Hunter Alberini was the only River Bandits pitcher to post a zero, tossing a scoreless bottom of the eighth with a strikeout of Rodney Green Jr.

Zane Taylor (3-2) earned his third win of the season for the Lugnuts, holding the Bandits to three runs over six innings while striking out seven. Jones (2-2) was saddled with the loss in his first start of the season, allowing seven runs (five earned) on nine hits, one walk and no strikeouts.

Quad Cities returns to Jackson Field for game four of the six-game set tomorrow and sends Josh Hansell (0-3, 3.43) to the mound opposite Lansing’s Kyle Robinson (1-1, 3.62). First pitch is set for 7:05 p.m.