MIDLAND, MI – The Great Lakes Loons rallied late to defeat the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers 4-2 at Dow Diamond on Tuesday night. The Loons needed the win to keep up their chances for a third consecutive trip to the playoffs, but a frightening incident in the third inning muted the celebration for the home team.
The Timber Rattlers (70-44 overall, 28-20 second half) grabbed the lead with a two-out rally in the top of the first inning. Eduardo Garcia doubled, and Matt Wood walked to keep the inning going. Then, Jadher Areinamo punched a single through the right side of the infield to score Garcia for the 1-0 advantage.
The mood turned very serious in the top of the third inning. Luis Lara walked to start the inning against Great Lakes starting pitcher Patrick Copen. Cooper Pratt was next, and Pratt hit a line drive right back at the right-handed pitcher. Copen could not get his glove up in time and the ball hit him in the face. The game was delayed 21 minutes while Copen received medical attention from the training staffs of both teams and on-site paramedics. Copen, wearing a neck brace, was carted off the field on a stretcher while the grounds crew cleaned up the blood from the mound.
The game restarted with a single from Garcia against new Great Lakes pitcher Christian Romero, who started warming in the bullpen as Copen was taken off the field, to load the bases. Romero escaped the inning with a strikeout and a double play.
The Loons (60-53, 26-21) scored an unearned run in the bottom of the third to tie the game. Jake Vogel reached on an infield single and took second on a throwing error by Garcia. Josue De Paula singled up the middle with one out to score Vogel.
This was the only run allowed by Wisconsin starting pitcher Will Rudy. He allowed three hits, walked two, and struck out four over five innings. He was also in line for his third straight win due to what happened in the top of the sixth inning.
Hedbert Pérez, who suffered a season-ending injury with the Carolina Mudcats on July 18, 2023 and had only returned to game action last Tuesday with the Rattlers, crushed a two-out, solo home run in the top of the sixth inning. The homer was the first for Pérez since July 6, 2023. It also gave Wisconsin a 2-1 lead.
The lead was short-lived. De Paula hit the first pitch from Yerlin Rodriguez in the bottom of the sixth inning for a solo homer to tie the game.
Great Lakes got to reliever Aaron Rund in the bottom of the eighth inning and it was De Paula who got things started with a lead-off walk. Kyle Nevin had a hit-and-run single to get De Paula to third. Jake Gelof got a high chopper over the head of Garcia at third for a double to score De Paula. Sam Mongelli was next. He singled to knock in Nevin with an insurance run.
Tayden Hall doubled with one out in the top of the ninth inning against Loons closer Kelvin Ramirez, but he was left stranded as the next two batters were retired. Wisconsin stranded eight runners and was 2-for-10 with runners in scoring position.
The defeat was the third straight loss for the Timber Rattlers. This is the fourth time Wisconsin has lost three in a row. They have not lost four games in a row this season.
Great Lakes has beaten Wisconsin six straight times at Dow Diamond dating back to winning the final five games of a series in Midland in June of 2022.
Game two of the series is Wednesday night at Dow Diamond. Alexander Cornielle (6-5, 4.52) is scheduled as the starting pitcher for the Timber Rattlers. Maddux Bruns (0-1, 1.96) is set to start for the Loons. Game time is 6:05pm CDT.
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