Bandits Steal a Win from Wisconsin
July 1, 2023 - Midwest League (MWL)
Wisconsin Timber Rattlers News Release
DAVENPORT, IA - The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers were one out from victory on Saturday night at Modern Woodmen Park. However, Javier Vaz drove in two runs with a two-out, infield single in the bottom of the ninth to lift the River Bandits to a 5-4 win and a split in the first four games of the six-game series.
Wisconsin (4-3 second half, 30-41 overall) started the game with back-to-back singles by Eric Brown Jr and Robert Moore to put runners on the corners with no outs. River Bandits starting pitcher David Sandlin escaped the inning with a pair of strikeouts and a grounder to second to- keep the Rattlers off the scoreboard.
Quad Cities (2-5, 34-39) started their half of the first inning with consecutive groundouts against Wisconsin starter Edwin Jimenez. Gavin Cross kept the inning alive with a single before stealing second. Then, Cayden Wallace walked before pulling a double steal with Cross to get two runners into scoring position. Then, Carter Jensen lined a 2-2 pitch to center to score both runners for a 2-0 lead.
The Rattlers bounced back in the top of the second. Ben Metzinger drew a walk, and Ernesto Martínez Jr cracked a homer out of the park to right to tie the game.
Diego Hernandez gave the Bandits the lead again with a lead-off home run in the bottom of the third inning. Jimenez got the next two outs without incident. However, Quad Cities loaded the bases on a double and two walks. Then, Jimenez fell behind River Town 3-0, before fighting back to get a strikeout to end the inning and keep the Rattlers within a run.
Sandlin went out to warm up for the fifth inning but left with an injury and force the Bandits to go to the bullpen early. Marlin Willis Jr took over for Sandlin and a bout of wildness with pitched and pickoff throws cost Willis and the Bandits the lead.
Terence Doston walked to start the fifth for the Rattlers. Willis tried a pickoff and threw wildly to allow Doston to wind up on third. Eric Brown Jr lined a single to left to score Doston with the tying run.
Willis tried another pickoff and this one was wild, too. Brown would take second on the play and steal third moments later. Matt Wood drove in Brown with a sacrifice fly and the Rattlers had their first lead of the game.
Shane Smith replaced Jimenez for the bottom of the fifth and gave up a one-out single before getting an inning-ending 1-6-3 double play. Smith would pitch a perfect sixth and a perfect seventh to turn the 4-3 lead over to Karlos Morales who, in turn, pitched a 1-2-3 eighth inning.
The Timber Rattlers offense had chances to add to their lead, but left the bases loaded in the seventh and wasted a lead-off double from Doston in the ninth.
Morales went back out for the bottom of the ninth to face and got the first out on a popup. Then, the game turned.
Town sent a weak grounder between the mound and the first base line. Morales had the ball go off the tip of his glove and it trickled away from him. Once Morales got the ball, he threw wildly to allow Town to go to second. A four-pitch walk to Shervyen Newton followed and the winning run was on base.
Tanner Shears was called into the game, but he walked Jack Alexander to load the bases
Shears struck out Hernandez for the second out. Then, the tension really ramped up to unbearable levels.
Vaz stepped to the plate and fell behind 1-2. Shears missed with the next pitch for ball two and barely missed with the next pitch for ball three. The full count gave the runners head starts on the payoff pitch, and Vaz sent a weak grounder near second base.
Brown ranged over from short to field the ball and step on second for the force play to end the game. However, the ball glanced off the heel of Brown's glove and deflected towards first base. There was no play anywhere and the tying and winning scored to give the River Bandits the walkoff win.
Game five of the series is a Sunday night game at Modern Woodmen Park. Jacob Misiorowski (1-0, 1.15) is the scheduled starting pitcher for the Timber Rattlers. Tyson Guerrero (0-3, 3.43) is set to start for the River Bandits. Game time is 6:30pm CDT. The broadcast is on AM1280 WNAM starting with the Community Blood Center at 6:10pm. Fans can listen on the radio, on the First Pitch app, or at this link. The internet video feed is available to subscribers of Bally Live, too.
R H E
WIS 020 020 000 - 4 5 1
QC 201 000 002 - 5 8 2
2 OUT, 2 LOB WHEN WINNING RUN SCORED
HOME RUNS:
WIS:
Ernesto Martínez Jr (6th, 1 on in 2nd inning off David Sandlin, 0 out)
QC:
Diego Hernandez (1st, 0 on in 3rd inning off Edwin Jimenez, 0 out)
WP: Anthony Simonelli (2-2)
LP: Karlos Morales (3-4)
TIME: 2:52
ATTN: 1,968
Midwest League Stories from July 1, 2023
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