GRAND CHUTE, WI – The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers had a 2-0 lead after the second inning in their seven-inning game against the Peoria Chiefs on Saturday at Neuroscience Group Field. The Rattlers were looking for a sweep and a four-game winning streak after their 8-1 win in the conclusion of Friday’s suspended game earlier in the evening. However, the Chiefs fought for their playoff lives to rally to a 5-2 victory over the Rattlers. Chase Adkison had two huge RBI for the Chiefs in their comeback.
Wisconsin (71-42 overall, 28-18 second half) scored twice in the bottom of the second inning with a key two-out hit and some aggressive base running. Felix Valerio was at second and Eduardqui Fernandez was at first with two outs and a 3-2 count on Luis Lara. The runners were going on the pitch and Lara lined a single to center. Valerio scored easily to put the Rattlers in front. A slight bobble by Chase Davis in center was all Victor Estevez needed to send Fernandez home for a 2-0 lead.
An error on the throw to the plate and another error on a Cooper Pratt grounder gave the Rattlers runners on the corners, but they could not add to their lead.
Peoria (49-63, 23-24) broke through in the top of the fourth inning against spot starter Stiven Cruz. A hit-and-run single by Miguel Villaroel sent Alex Iadisernia to third base. Adkison’s sacrifice fly got the run on the board for the Chiefs.
In the fifth inning, Cruz gave up back-to-back singles to the first two batters he faced. Bayden Root was called in from the Wisconsin bullpen and he issued a walk to Chase Davis to load the bases. Wisconsin got the first out on force play at the plate.
Tre Richardson followed with a hard grounder to the right side of the infield. Jadher Areinamo made a diving stop and threw out Richardson at first for the second out. They tying run had scored on the play, but Davis tried to score from second on the play. First baseman Jesus Chirinos didn’t panic and immediately threw to the plate to get Davis for the final out of the inning to keep the game tied.
Root got the first two outs of the top of the sixth on three pitched. However, he hit Villaroel to extend the inning. Villaroel would steal second base with Adkison at the plate. The count went full and Adkison cracked a double to right-center. Villaroel scored on the play with Adkison getting thrown out at third for the final out.
The Chiefs added two insurance runs in the top of the seventh inning on just one hit against Yerlin Rodriguez. A hit batsman, a single, and a walk loaded the bases. A walk on a 3-2 pitch to Leonardo Bernal allowed the first run of the inning to score. A one-out wild pitch let the final run score.
Wisconsin went down in order in the bottom of the seventh and the Chiefs had broken Wisconsin’s three-game winning streak.
Luke Adams went 1-for-2 with a single, a walk, and a hit batsman. Adams has been hit by pitches 38 times this season and is tied with Nick Sanay for the Midwest League record for being hit by pitches in a season. Sanay was hit 38 times during the 2017 season.
Peoria’s split moved their second half record to 23-24. The Chiefs and the Cedar Rapids Kernels are both 23-24 and trail the 24-23 Quad Cities River Bandits for the second half West Division Playoff spot and the right to face the Rattlers in the Midwest League playoffs. There are nineteen games remaining in the regular season.
The series finale is set for Sunday afternoon at Neuroscience Group Field. Ryan Birchard (0-1, 12.00) is set to be the starting pitcher for the Timber Rattlers. Milwaukee Brewers relivers Trevor Megill and Enoli Paredes are scheduled to make rehabilitation appearances out of the Wisconsin bullpen on Sunday, too. The Chiefs have Ixan Hernandez (1-0, 4.50) as their starter. Game time is 1:10pm CDT.
The suspended game from Friday: Eduardo Garcia drove in three runs, including a two-out, two-run double, to lead the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers to an 8-1 win over the Peoria Chiefs in the conclusion of Friday’s suspended game at Neuroscience Group Field. The win was the third started for Wisconsin.
The Timber Rattlers (70-41 overall, 28-17 second half) had a 1-0 lead when play was halted after four innings on Friday night. Hedbert Pérez tripled to start the bottom of the third. Garcia drove in Pérez with a sacrifice fly for the run.
Peoria (48-63, 22-24) tied the game in the top of the seventh inning against reliever Jeferson Figueroa. Brody Moore walked and went to third on a hit-and-run single by Leonardo Bernal to give the Chiefs runners at the corners with no outs. Johnfrank Salazar singled to center to drive in Moore with the tying run.
The Chiefs elected to bunt the runners into scoring position, and it would cost them. Won-Bin Cho got the bunt down to put runners on second and third with one out. Kade Kretzschmar was next. He sent a grounder to Cooper Pratt at short. Pratt threw home and got Bernal by a lot for the second out. Figueroa ended the inning with a strikeout.
The Rattler bats got to work in the bottom of the seventh with Matt Wood drawing a lead-off walk and Pérez singling to center with one out. They were still at first and second with two outs when Garcia stepped to the plate. Garcia lined a 1-2 pitch to right-center for a double to score both runners for a 4-1 lead. Cooper Pratt followed with a single to left on an 0-2 pitch to drive in Garcia for a 4-1 lead.
Figueroa went back out for the top of the eighth inning and pitched a perfect frame with a strikeout. He allowed one run on two hits with a walk and five strikeouts over four innings.
Wisconsin added four insurance runs in the bottom of the eighth inning. Jadher Areinamo walked, and Wood singled to put runners at first and third. Tayden Hall singled to score Areinamo. Jheremy Vargas doubled with two outs to score Wood. The final two runs scored on an errant throw to first.
Tyler Bryant worked a scoreless top of the ninth inning to close out the game.
Wood had two hits, two walks, and scored two runs in four plate appearances.
The final game of the series is a Yooper Day! Players will wear their Yooper Jerseys again and the Yooper Ticket Package is available for this game, too. Sunday’s giveaway is a poster giveaway from Blue Print Service Company to celebrate the Rattlers 2024 Playoff berth. This poster will be given to the first 1,000 fans through the gates. You’re invited to play Catch on the Field presented by TruGreen from noon to 12:30pm. Fans who purchase a Left Field Wall ticket for this game will receive a pair of sunglasses from Goodr. The postgame player autograph session for fans is courtesy of Fox Cities Cards.
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