COMSTOCK PARK, MI – The West Michigan Whitecaps broke a 2-2 tie with a run in the bottom of the eighth inning to beat the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers 3-2 on Friday night at LMCU Ballpark in a game that took under two hours to play. Both teams have won two games in the series. Despite the loss, Wisconsin’s march to a division title was only put on pause instead of taking a step back.
The Whitecaps (31-30) took the lead with a run in the bottom of the first inning without a hit. Wisconsin starting pitcher Will Rudy hit lead-off batter Seth Stephenson, who promptly stole second base. Max Anderson got Stephenson to third with a flyout to right. Roberto Campos drove in Stephenson with a sacrifice fly to left for the 1-0 lead.
Wisconsin (38-23) responded with two runs in the top of the second inning. Jesús Chirinos and Tayden Hall walked with one out. Eduarqui Fernández sent a slow grounder to second. Anderson fielded the ball and tagged Hall, but his throw to first was wild to allow Chirinos to score and Fernández to take second base. Terence Doston put the Rattlers in the lead with a single to center to knock in Fernández.
Rudy retired thirteen West Michigan hitters in a row after the hit batsman. He would pitch five innings, allow one hit, and strike out five without issuing a walk.
West Michigan tied the game in the bottom of the sixth against reliever Patricio Aquino. The first two batters – Jim Jarvis and Stephenson – reached on singles. Anderson sent a fly ball to right to advance Jarvis from second to third. Then, Stephenson stole second. Campos grounded out to third with the only play to first and Jarvis scored the tying run.
Jarvis started the rally that put the Whitecaps in the lead in the eighth inning with another lead-off single. Anderson lined a double to the corner in right with one out and Jarvis raced home with the run to put West Michigan up 3-2.
In the top of the ninth, Max Alba retired the Timber Rattlers in order for his second save. The game was played in one hour and fifty-four minutes.
Wisconsin’s magic number went down despite the loss. The Cedar Rapids Kernels lost 4-1 at Lansing on Friday night to lower the Rattlers magic number to two. Any combination of two Wisconsin wins or two Cedar Rapids losses over the final five games of the first half will clinch the first playoff berth for the Timber Rattlers since 2016.
The Whitecaps host the game five of the series at LMCU Ballpark on Saturday night. Yujanyer Herrera (3-1, 4.62) is the scheduled starting pitcher for the Timber Rattlers. West Michigan has named Jaden Hamm (1-1, 2.17) as their starter. Game time is 5:35pm CDT.
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