GRAND CHUTE, WI – The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers and South Bend Cubs have records at the opposite ends of the Midwest League standings. That doesn’t matter when the teams have met this season. Both teams have won ten games out of the twenty that have been played in the season series after South Bend beat the Rattlers 5-1 on Wednesday afternoon at Neuroscience Group Field
The starting pitchers traded zeroes for five innings. South Bend starter Drew Gray allowed one hit, walked one, and struck out four. Wisconsin starter Patricio Aquino scattered three hits and struck out one without walking a batter.
Then, the teams traded runs in the sixth inning.
Wisconsin Reliever Stiven Cruz walked Brett Bateman with one out. Pedro Ramirez followed with a single to put runners on the corners. Jefferson Rojas got Bateman home with a sacrifice fly to left.
The Rattlers (62-35 overall, 20-11 second half) tied the game in the bottom of the sixth. South Bend reliever Nick Hull retired the first two batters he faced. Then, Luke Adams drove a homer to left to tie the game. Adams has homered in two straight games and has eleven home runs on the season.
South Bend (39-59, 12-20) took the lead for good in the top of the seventh inning. Ed Howard hit a solo homer with one out for the 2-1 lead. A collision between second baseman Jheremy Vargas and right fielder Eduarqui Fernandez jarred the ball loose from Vargas’s glove for a two-out, double. Jordan Nwogu followed with an RBI double to left and the Cubs were up by two runs.
Cooper Pratt and Adams tried to rally Wisconsin in the eighth inning. Pratt singled with one out and Adams was hit by a pitch for the 31st time this season. Hull struck out the next batter before leaving in favor of Mitchell Tyranski.
Tyranski walked Felix Valerio to load the bases. But he would retire the next batter on a popup to end the threat.
Yerlin Rodriguez was called on to keep the game close in the top of the ninth. He would walk the lead-off batter, hit Kalmer with a pitch, walk Nwogu, and walk David Avita to force in a run. A wild pitch allowed another run to score and the Rattlers were down 5-1. Rodriguez struck out two batters in the inning, but the second reached on a wild pitch. Aaron Rund had to come into the game with the bases loaded and one out. He would not allow any of the runners he inherited to score as he struck out the next two hitters.
Wisconsin went down in order in the bottom of the ninth as they dropped their second straight game to the Cubs.
Game three of the series is Thursday night. K.C. Hunt (3-1, 2.18) is the scheduled starting pitcher for the Timber Rattlers. The Cubs have named Will Sanders (1-5, 4.78) as their starter. Game time is 6:40pm CDT.
Calling all witches, wizards, and Muggles! The Timber Rattlers invite all members of GryffindorTM, HufflepuffTM, RavenclawTM, or SlytherinTM to an exclusive experience that will bring Harry PotterTM magic to Neuroscience Group Field on Thursday night. Players and coaches will wear Harry PotterTM-themed Jerseys for this game that will be up for auction at this link. Fans who are of legal drinking age may purchase any 16-ounce craft beer for $3 at this game, and all fans can purchase a Cher-Make brat for $3 thanks to Fox River Brewing Company and The Score. Don’t miss the special Thursday Night Fireworks courtesy of Thrivent.
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