Dragons burn Rattlers with big inning
August 20, 2006 - Midwest League (MWL1)
Wisconsin Timber Rattlers News Release
DAYTON, OH -- The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers let a 5-0 lead get away from them as the Dayton Dragons scored six times in the bottom of the fourth inning. Dayton went up 8-5 and held off a late Rattler rally for an 8-7 win Sunday afternoon at Fifth Third Field. Dayton starter Carlos Fischer shook off a rough start and retired the final fourteen batters he faced to give a Dragons a shot for the win.
Wisconsin (46-81 overall, 19-38 second half) jumped out to a 3-0 lead right away in the top of the first inning. Jeff Flaig and Johan Limonta had RBI singles and Gerardo Avila knocked in the other run with a sacrifice fly.
The Rattlers added to that lead with a pair of runs in the second inning on an RBI triple by Flaig and a Dayton error that allowed Flaig to score later in the inning.
Rattler starting pitcher Nick Allen retired the first six batters he faced in the game, but left with an unidentified injury after a single by Craig Tatum in the bottom of the third. Tatum would eventually score on a wild pitch by reliever Roman Martinez.
Dayton (63-63, 28-28) took advantage of a lot of Rattler miscues to score six times in the bottom of the fourth to go up 7-5. Jay Bruce started the inning by reaching on an error. Martinez hit the next batter to put runners on first and second. BJ Szymanski singled to knock in Bruce and cut the Wisconsin lead to 5-2.
Bobby Mosby was next and sent a tailor-made double play ball to short, but the toss to second was poor and the Rattlers only got one out and the Dragons had runners at first and third. Tatum was next and his infield single pushed another run across the plate Martinez issued a walk to Bradley Key to load the bases and that was it for Martinez.
Rattler reliever Edgar Guaramato entered the game and promptly hit back-to-back hitters to force in two runs and let the Dragons tie the game 5-5. Eric Eymann was next and he delivered a two-run single in and gave Dayton a 7-5 lead.
Bruce launched a long home run to right off Juan Colon with one out in the bottom of the seventh to make the score 8-5. As it turned out, that was a big insurance run for the Dragons.
Fischer left the game after seven inning with nine strikeouts, no walks, and a chance for his eleventh win of the season.
But, the Rattlers made it interesting in the eighth against Derrik Lutz. Ron Garth singled to start the inning. Limonta tripled into the right field corner to drive in Garth. Adam Moore's sacrifice fly sent Limonta home and the Rattlers trailed 8-7.
Wisconsin would put runners on second and third with one out, but Lutz got a grounder back to the mound and got the runner caught between third and home for the second out. Jose Rojas came into the game and got a strikeout for the final out of the inning.
Then, Rojas closed out the Rattlers by striking out the side in order in the top of the ninth for his second save in two games against the Rattlers.
The final game of the series is set for Monday night at Fifth Third Field. Paul Fagan (4-13, 5.14ERA) is the scheduled starting pitcher for the Timber Rattlers. Daniel Guerrero (4-4, 4.36ERA) is the scheduled starter for the Dragons. Game time is 7:00pm EDT/ 6:00pm CDT.
Midwest League Stories from August 20, 2006
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- Swing take first place with win - Quad Cities River Bandits
- Whitecaps drop second straight to the Lugnuts - West Michigan Whitecaps
- Snappers thrash Lumberkings - Beloit Sky Carp
- Dragons win wild one over Wisconsin 8-7 - Dayton Dragons
- Dragons burn Rattlers with big inning - Wisconsin Timber Rattlers
- Road woes continue with 7-5 loss to Cougars - Cedar Rapids Kernels
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