A Great Home Debut For Trio of Rattlers
MWL Wisconsin Timber Rattlers

A Great Home Debut For Trio of Rattlers

Published on August 13, 2025 under Midwest League (MWL)
Wisconsin Timber Rattlers News Release


GRAND CHUTE, WI - Luis Peña, Jesús Made, and Travis Smith of the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers played their first game at Neuroscience Group Field on Tuesday night. It was an unbridled success in front of a season-high crowd of 6,209. Peña homered and drove in three runs. Made doubled, walked, scored a run, and made an incredible defensive play. Smith allowed two earned runs over 5-2/3 innings for his first Midwest League win.

Great Lakes (59-48 overall, 25-17 second half) took the lead in the top of the first inning. The Loons had runners at the corners with one out. Eduardo Quintero, who doubled with one out, scored from third after the Rattlers couldn't complete a potential 4-6-3 double play to end the inning.

Peña tied the game with a two-out, solo home run to left-center in the bottom of the third against Great Lakes starting pitcher Wyatt Crowell. The homer was his second in six games as a Rattler.

The Loons took the lead back in the top of the fifth inning. Jake Gelof doubled to start the inning and was at third with one out. Wisconsin brought the infield in, and Frank Rodriguez hit a grounder right to Jesús Made at short. Gelof was caught in a rundown between third and home long enough for Rodriguez to take second base. Kendall George followed with a single to center to score Rodriguez for a 2-1 lead.

The Rattlers (49-58, 15-27) rallied in their half of the fifth. Blayberg Diaz doubled, and Luis Castillo walked to start the inning. Jesús Made walked with one out to load the bases for Peña. Wyatt committed a balk before his first pitch to Peña to allow Diaz to score the tying run.

One pitch later, Peña ripped a single to center to drive in Castillo and Made for a 4-2 lead.

Smith ran into a little trouble in the top of the fifth after a one-out walk to Logan Wagner. Cameron Decker hit a high foul pop to first that Diaz couldn't secure and instead of two outs, Decker got a second chance. It was Wagner who made the most of the mistake going to second on a wild pitch and stealing third base. Decker drove in Wagner with a sacrifice fly to center to cut the Wisconsin lead to one run.

That run also ended Smith's night as Jesús Broca was called in from the bullpen. Broca would go the rest of the way and protected the one-run lead for his fifth save of the season.

It was not a great start for Broca as he walked the first batter he faced before getting the final out of the sixth.

In the seventh, Kendall George had a two-out single, stole second, and went to third on an error. Broca walked Quintero to set up a lefty-lefty match-up with Zyhir Hope, one of the top prospects in baseball. Broca won the battle by striking out Hope to end the threat.

An uneventful, 1-2-3 eighth inning was followed by Broca retiring the first two Loons in the ninth. Then, Broca walked the number nine batter to bring George back to the plate. Broca grounded out to Made at short on the first of this at bat to end the game.

The win marked Wisconsin's second straight win. The last time the Rattlers one two in a row was when they swept a doubleheader from the Beloit Sky Carp on July 6.

Game two of the series is set for Wednesday afternoon at Neuroscience Group Field. Manuel Rodriguez (1-3, 2.50) is the scheduled starting pitcher for the Timber Rattlers. Great Lakes is going with Payton Martin (6-2, 4.00) as their starter. Game time is 12:10pm CDT.

Fans age 55 and older receive a box seat ticket, a Timber Rattlers hat, a beverage, and a brat or hot dog for $25 courtesy of Network Health and 103.9 WVBO on our final midweek day game of 2025. Fans may order the Silver Foxes Special in person at the Box Office or over the phone (920) 733-4152, too. The Silver Foxes Special is also available to active and retired military personnel.

If you can't make it to the ballpark, there are several ways to follow the action. The game will be televised on CW-14 starting at noon. The radio broadcast on AM1280, WNAM and internet audio starts with the pregame show at 6:20pm. MLB.tv has announced Wednesday's contest as their Free Game of the Day! The game is also available on MiLB.tv and Bally Sports Live.

R H E

GL 100 011 000 - 3 6 1

WIS 001 030 00x - 4 5 3

HOME RUN:

WIS:

Luis Peña (2nd, 0 on in 3rd inning off Wyatt Crowell, 2 out)

WP: Travis Smith (1-0)

LP: Wyatt Crowell (3-6)

SAVE: Jesús Broca (5)

TIME: 2:30

ATTN: 6,209

Check out the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers Statistics



Midwest League Stories from August 13, 2025


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