Hardin Shows His Quality...Again
May 22, 2025 - Midwest League (MWL)
Wisconsin Timber Rattlers News Release
SOUTH BEND, IN - Tyson Hardin keeps throwing strikes for the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers. The right-hander allowed one run, walked none, and struck out eight to earn his fourth win of the season as the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers beat the South Bend Cubs 5-2 at Four Winds Field on Thursday night. Hardin has amassed 48 strikeouts against four walks in 44-2/3 innings with Wisconsin this season.
Jadher Areinamo put the Timber Rattlers (19-23) on top with a home run to start the game. Areinamo took a 1-1 pitch from Erian Gonzalez to right for an opposite field homer, his fifth home run of the season. Eduardo Garcia and Blake Burke followed with singles to put runner on the corners. Marco Dinges knocked in Garcia with a single for a 2-0 lead.
Yhoswar Garcia added to the lead with a two-out, RBI double in the fourth inning.
Hardin cruised through the early stages of the game as he retired the first eleven batters he faced, including five on strikeouts. A two-out error in the bottom of the fourth gave South Bend (10-32) their first base runner and Andy Garriola followed with a single before Hardin struck out Miguel Pabon for the final out of the frame.
The Cubs finally got to Hardin in the bottom of the fifth, and it could have been a little worse than one run. Drew Bowser and Brian Kalmer singled with one out. Then, Kalmer got caught too far from first on his secondary lead and Dinges fired a strike to Burke covering at first for a 2-3 pickoff, the second in as many days for Dinges behind the plate.
Rafael Morel would single to drive in Bowser to cut into Wisconsin's lead, but Hardin ended the frame with his eighth strikeout to keep the Cubs from any thoughts of a comeback in the inning.
Wisconsin got that run back plus one more in the top of the sixth as they loaded the bases with no outs against Chase Watkins. Juan Baez grounded into a 6-4-3 double play to score the runner from third. Then, Hedbert P é rez doubled in the second run for a 5-1 lead.
In the bottom of the sixth, Jefferson Rojas started the Cubs up again with a single before Edgar Alvarez hit into a 3-6-1 double play. Another single followed before Hardin closed out the inning with a force play at second.
The Wisconsin bullpen was a little shaky but had enough to get the last nine outs. Tanner Shears walked three in the seventh inning but helped himself by picking off the first batter he walked for the second out of the inning.
Aaron Rund faced a bases-loaded, no-out situation in the bottom of the eighth after three straight singles. A run scored as Pabon grounded into a 6-4-3 double play. Rund got the final out with a strikeout.
The bottom of the ninth was less stressful but still needed a defensive gem to finish the contest. Kalmer drew a one-out walk. Morel hit a hard grounder up the middle that deflected off Rund to Daniel Guilarte near the second base bag. Guilarte fielded the ball, stepped on second, and fired to first to complete the game-ending double play for Wisconsin's third win in a row.
Burke's first inning single extended his current on-base streak to 25 games, the longest in the Midwest League this season.
Dinges, who joined the team on Tuesday, has four RBI in his first three games with Wisconsin.
Hardin has a quality start - six innings pitched with three or fewer earned runs - in his four consecutive starts. His ERA actually went up - from 1.16 to 1.21 - after his start on Thursday.
Game four of the series is Friday night at Four Winds Field. Ryan Birchard (0-2, 3.72) is the scheduled starting pitcher for the Timber Rattlers. South Bend will go with Nick Dean (0-2, 5.06) as their starter. Game time is 6:05pm CDT. The radio broadcast on AM1280, WNAM and internet audio starts with the pregame show at 5:45pm.
R H E
WIS 201 002 000 - 5 10 1
SB 000 010 010 - 2 9 0
HOME RUN:
WIS:
Jadher Areinamo (5th, 0 on in 1st inning off Erian Rodriguez, 0 out)
WP: Tyson Hardin (4-1)
LP: Erian Rodriguez (0-1)
TIME: 2:19
ATTN: 3,103
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