GRAND CHUTE, WI – The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers trailed the West Michigan 2-1 heading into the bottom of the tenth inning on Thursday night at Neuroscience Group Field. The Rattlers were not bothered by this deficit. Luke Adams tied the game with an RBI double and Matt Wood delivered the game-winning hit with a double that scored Adams for a 3-2 victory.
West Michigan (41-43 overall, 10-8 second half) took the lead with their first run of the series. Jim Jarvis hit a 1-2 pitch from K.C. Hunt to left field for his fourth home run of the season and a 1-0 advantage.
Hunt would not give up another hit. He worked six innings, allowed one run on three hits with two walks and nine strikeouts.
Wisconsin (54-30, 12-6) tied the game in the bottom of the sixth inning. Luis Lara and Joey Ortiz walked to start the inning. Jadher Areinamo singled to center to score Lara with the tying run.
Ortiz went 0-for-2 with a walk in three plate appearances for the Timber Rattlers on his rehab assignment from the Milwaukee Brewers. Adams would replace Ortiz at third base for the top of the eighth inning.
Both teams had chances to take the lead late in regulation. The Rattlers had two on with one out in the seventh and loaded the bases in the eight. The Whitecaps had second and third with no outs and the bases loaded with one out against Chase Costello in the ninth. Neither team would score to send the game went to extra innings.
In the tenth, West Michigan scored when Costello uncorked a wild pitch with one out to let the go-ahead run score for a 2-1 lead.
The Timber Rattlers responded in the bottom of the tenth. Luis Lara was placed at second base as the automatic runner for extra innings. Luke Adams drilled a 3-1 pitch from Yosber Sanchez down the line in left field for an RBI double to tie the game. West Michigan elected to walk Areinamo to pitch to Wood.
Wood spoiled the strategy by lining a double to right-center to score Adams with the winning run.
Wisconsin has six walkoff wins this season. They have also reached 24 games over .500, a height not reached by a Timber Rattlers club since the 2001 season.
Adams, who was hit by a pitch in his first plate appearance on Thursday night, has now reached base in seven straight plate appearances dating back his final plate appearance of the game on Tuesday night. He has three hits, two hit batsmen, and two walks.
In 28 innings during this series with West Michigan, Wisconsin pitchers have allowed one earned run. In July, the team is now 7-2 with a team ERA of 1.91. Opposing hitters are batting just .167 and have struck out 102 times in 80 innings against Rattlers pitchers in July.
Game four of the series is Friday night at Neuroscience Group Field. Will Rudy (2-6, 5.37) is set to be the starting pitcher for the Timber Rattlers. Colin Fields (2-3, 3.36) is the announced starter for the Whitecaps. Game time is 6:40pm.
Friday night is Fauxback Night! What’s Fauxback Night? The Timber Rattlers have asked and answered the question, “What would the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers logo look like if it had been designed for the 1940 Wisconsin State League season?” The result is a sweet Fauxback look. Players and coaches will wear Fauxback jerseys and hats for the game and you can bid on the jerseys in an online auction that is live now at this link. You will get your own piece of history if you are one of the first 1,000 fans to attend this game with a Fauxback t-shirt from Prevea. There are fireworks scheduled for after the game. Children twelve and under may run the bases courtesy of Meijer after the fireworks show.
Comments