GRAND CHUTE, WI – The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers let a 6-2 lead get away from them on Thursday night against the Peoria Chiefs. However, the Rattlers had the final say as they rallied for single runs in the seventh and eighth innings to defeat the Chiefs 8-7 at Neuroscience Group Field at Fox Cities Stadium in front of 3,745 fans.
The Chiefs (10-17) scored twice in the first inning. Pedro Pages drove in the first run of the game with an RBI grounder. Brady Whalen followed with a long home run to right
Korry Howell cut the Peoria lead in half with a solo homer in the bottom of the first. The home run was the seventh of the season for the reigning High-A Central League Player of the Month for May.
Wisconsin (14-13) loaded the bases with no outs in the bottom of the second inning. Nick Kahle grounded into a 4-3 double play to get the tying run across the plate and move the go-ahead run to third base. Je’Von Ward drew a walk to extend the inning and Howell lined a single to center to score the runner from third for a 3-2 lead.
The Rattlers reloaded the bases when Garrett Mitchell drew a walk. Thomas Dillard was next and he lined a double to left-center to score two runs and the Rattlers were up 5-2.
Ward launched a solo home run to right in the bottom of the fourth inning to move his hitting streak to twelve games and the Wisconsin lead to 6-2.
The lead disappeared in the top of the sixth. Reliever Brady Schanuel, who was out for his fourth inning of relief after starting pitcher Victor Castañeda lasted just two innings, got the first out of the sixth. Then, a double, a single, and a walk loaded the bases and brought Evan Reifert out of the Wisconsin bullpen.
Reifert struck out the first batter he faced on three pitches for the second out. The third out was elusive.
A wild pitch allowed a run to score and a four-pitch walk reloaded the bases. Reifert fell behind Brendan Donovan 1-0 and the next pitch was hit out of the park to right for a grand slam home run and the Chiefs had a 7-6.
Wisconsin responded with a rally to tie the game in the bottom of the seventh. Dillard beat out an infield single to start the inning. LG Castillo cracked a single to left with two outs. Jesús Lujano snuck a grounder through the infield to score Dillard and tie the game 7-7.
In the bottom of the eighth, Ward started the game-winning rally with a one-out double. Carlos Rodríguez delivered a clutch two-out single to left with two strikes and Ward raced home with the run that put the Rattlers up 8-7.
Rodríguez had entered the game in the top of the second as a defensive replacement for Mitchell, who left the game as planned after three plate appearance on the evening. Mitchell was 1-for-2 with a walk, a stolen base, and a few running catches in centerfield in the game.
Taylor Floyd, who entered the game in the top of the eighth inning to get the final out of that frame, pitched around a one-out walk in the top of the ninth by striking out the final two batters of the game to close out the Wisconsin victory.
The Timber Rattlers and Chiefs have played nine games this season and six of those games have been decided by one run.
Game four of the series is Friday night. Freisis Adames (2-0, 3.94) is the scheduled starting pitcher for the Timber Rattlers. Jack Ralston (1-2, 2.21) is set to start for the Chiefs. Game time is 7:05pm.
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