Wisconsin Timber Rattlers at Kane County Cougars
August 18, 2016 - Midwest League (MWL1)
Wisconsin Timber Rattlers News Release
GENEVA, IL - The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers trailed the Kane County Cougars 5-0 after the bottom of the first inning on Thursday night at Fifth Third Bank Ballpark and it appeared that their playoff chances were about to take a huge hit. But, Alan Sharkey hit his first two home runs of the season and drove in four runs, Isan Diaz came through in the clutch again, and Nate Griep walked the tightrope in the ninth inning to nail down the 7-6 win and a new Timber Rattlers record for saves in a season.
Wisconsin (60-63 overall, 26-27 second half) got singles from Trent Clark and Luis Aviles to start the game, but they could not cash in a run.
Kane County (55-68, 22-31) started the bottom of the first inning with three straight singles to load the bases against Wisconsin starting pitcher Zack Brown. The Cougars did cash in early. A wild pitch let the first run score. An errant throw on a grounder to short let two more runs score. Later in the inning Brown got a strikeout of Frank Christy with a runner at third, but strike three got to the backstop and the runner scored to make it 4-0. A two-out double by Gerard Hernandez knocked in Christy and the Cougars were up 5-0.
The Rattlers used the long ball to get back into the game. Sharkey hit a two-out, solo home run in the top of the second inning for Wisconsin's first run. The homer was the first of the season for Sharkey. In the third inning, Diaz cracked his 19th home run of the season, a two-out, two-run blast to right-center, to bring the Rattlers to within two runs.
The Cougars added to their lead in the bottom of the fifth with some more assistance from the Rattlers. A single, a balk, and a walk put runners on first and second with one out. Fernery Ozuna was next and he sent a grounder to Sharkey at first. Sharkey made an errant throw on a force play a second to allow a run to score and the Rattlers were down 6-3.
Sharkey made up for the error in a big way in the top of the sixth. Sharkey, whose last homer prior to Thursday evening came on July 25, 2015, stepped to the plate with runners on first and second with two outs. He launched the first pitch of this at bat from Duval over the wall in right for a game-tying, three-run home run.
The go-ahead rally started in the top of the seventh with Natanael Mejia. The Wisconsin catcher leadoff the frame with a slow roller up the third base line that refused to go foul and he was on with a single. Trent Clark worked the count to 3-2 and Mejia was running on the payoff pitch. The motion paid off for the Rattlers as Clark sent a grounder to first that could have been a double play. Instead, the Cougars took the out at first and let Mejia take second. He was still at second with two outs.
That was when Diaz delivered. The Timber Rattlers leader in RBI smacked a 1-0 pitch to left-center to drive in Mejia with the run to put the Rattlers up 7-6.
The Timber Rattlers bullpen was outstanding for the second night in a row as they allowed one unearned run over eight innings to keep the Rattlers in the game. Miguel Sanchez, who just joined the Rattlers on Thursday, made his Midwest League debut with four innings in relief of Brown. He gave up three hits, walked two, and struck out two while allowing the unearned run in the fourth. Corbin Burnes, the 4th round pick of the Brewers in the 2016 draft, pitched around two walks with five strikeouts over three hitless, scoreless innings.
That set the stage for Nate Griep. The Timber Rattlers closer, who earned the save in Wisconsin's 14-inning victory on Wednesday, took over in the bottom of the ninth. Griep entered the game tied with John Thompson and Greg Holle for the franchise's single-season saves record with 19. Griep's record-breaking save would not be easy.
Fernery Ozuna started the bottom of the ninth with a triple high off the wall in right-center to get the tying run to third base with no outs. Griep struck out the next two batters to bring Joey Armstrong to the plate. Armstrong was 2-for-2 with an RBI double in two plate appearances against Griep this season heading into this at bat. Griep would prevail this time. Strike three popped away from Mejia, but the catcher pounced on the ball in foul territory and fired a strike to Sharkey at first base for the final out of Wisconsin's win.
In the second half Western Division Wild Card Race, the Burlington Bees beat the Beloit Snappers 3-2 while the Quad Cities River Bandits lost 3-2 at Clinton. Burlington is 28-25 in the second half. The Rattlers and Quad Cities are both two games back of the Bees at 26-27. Additionally, the division leading Cedar Rapids Kernels lost 3-2 at Peoria on Thursday night. Burlington trails the Kernels by two games. The Rattlers and River Bandits are four games behind Cedar Rapids. There are 17 games left in the second half.
The Timber Rattlers return home to start a seven-game homestand with game one of a series against the Beloit Snappers at Neuroscience Group Field at Fox Cities Stadium on Friday night. Miguel Diaz (1-7, 3.68) is the scheduled starting pitcher for Wisconsin. Beloit has named Boomer Biegalski (7-7, 3.62) as their starter. Game time is 7:05pm.
Help us celebrate Fang T. Rattler's birthday! There will be the annual pregame kickball contest between teams of area mascots captained by Fang and his evil counterpart Gnaf. There will be a Cans for Cake food drive. Just bring in a nonperishable food item for St. Joseph's Food Pantry and you will receive a slice of birthday cake. Make sure to stop by the Special Memories Petting Zoo display in front of the ballpark!
Arty's Old Fashioned drinks will be available to fans 21 and over for $3 as part of Arty's Old Fashioned Friday sponsored by WIXX. Children 14 and under may participate in Kids Run the Bases thanks to Molina Healthcare after the postgame FOX 11 fireworks display.
If you can't make it to the ballpark, the radio broadcast is on 1280 AM, WNAM starting with the pregame show at 6:45pm. The game is also available on the internet through IHeartRadio, TuneIn, and MiLB.TV.
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