Nieves and Rattlers Have a Nice Day
July 13, 2009 - Midwest League (MWL1)
Wisconsin Timber Rattlers News Release
GRAND CHUTE, WI -- Wisconsin Timber Rattlers starter Efrain Nieves struck out seven over five innings and picked up his third win of the season in a 5-2 win over the South Bend Silver Hawks Monday afternoon at Time Warner Cable Field. Brock Kjeldgaard homered and Juan Sanchez drove in two runs for some of the offensive support.
The top two draft picks of the Arizona Diamondbacks in the 2009 draft combined to give the Silver Hawks (35-51 overall, 8-10 second half) a 1-0 lead in the first inning. AJ Pollock, the #1 pick of Arizona out of the University of Notre Dame, singled with two outs. Marc Krauss, the second round pick of out of Ohio University, doubled to right-center and Pollock scored easily. But, that was all Nieves would allow on the afternoon.
Wisconsin (45-42, 11-6) tied the game right away in the bottom of the first. Sanchez walked to start the inning. Peter Fatse doubled off the wall in left and Sanchez, who was running on the pitch, scored without a play to even the score 1-1.
The Rattlers broke the tie with a run in the bottom of the fifth. Michael Marseco reached on a fielder's choice with two outs as the Hawks could not complete a double play. He stole second to get into scoring position. Sanchez singled off the glove of shortstop Victor Estevez and Marseco scored the go ahead run.
Nieves turned the game over to the bullpen at this point in the game. He allowed four hits and walked three in his five innings. The seven strikeouts was a season high for the lefty.
After Brandon Ritchie pitched a scoreless top of the sixth, Kjeldgaard lined a two-out solo home run in the bottom of the sixth to put Wisconsin up 3-1. The homer was Kjeldgaard's fourteenth of the season.
Marseco padded the Rattlers lead in the seventh inning. He drove in a run with an RBI triple and scored on a sacrifice fly by Sanchez.
Cody Scarpetta pitched two scoreless innings out of the bullpen, but needed help to close down the Silver Hawks in the ninth. South Bend loaded the bases with no outs and Scarpetta allowed a sacrifice fly to Isaias Asencio to make the score 5-2.
That run was the first allowed by Scarpetta in 16-1/3 innings. Asencio was also the final batter he faced. Nick Tyson relieved and got the final two outs for his fifth save in five chances this season.
The Timber Rattlers are off on Tuesday. They return to action on Wednesday against the Great Lakes Loons at Dow Diamond in Midland, Michigan. Wisconsin has Trey Watten (4-7, 3.98) as their scheduled starting pitcher. The Loons have Nathan Eovaldi (1-4, 3.80) as their scheduled starter. Game time is 6:05pm CDT.
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Midwest League Stories from July 13, 2009
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