MWL1 Wisconsin Timber Rattlers

Peoria has just enough

Published on May 24, 2008 under Midwest League (MWL1)
Wisconsin Timber Rattlers News Release


PEORIA, IL - The Peoria Chiefs defeated the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers 5-4 on Saturday night at O'Brien Field. They broke a 2-2 tie with a pair of runs in the fifth inning and added an important insurance run in the sixth. Then, the Chiefs held off a late Rattler charge for their fifth consecutive win.

The Timber Rattlers (20-25) had a 1-0 lead two batters into the game. Maximo Mendez drew a walk. Juan Diaz followed with an RBI double to right-center of Peoria starting pitcher Alberto Cabrera.

The Chiefs (19-30) answered in the bottom of the first. Nate Samson doubled with one out. Jovan Rosa singled in Samson with two outs to tie the game.

Alex Liddi started the Rattler second inning with a triple. A sacrifice fly by Calvin Beamon gave Wisconsin a 2-1 lead. But, Peoria came right back in the bottom of the second inning. Dylan Johnston hit a solo homer to start the inning and tie the game 2-2.

A series of miscues led to a pair of Peoria runs in the bottom of the fifth inning. Elvis Lara started the inning with a single. Samson appeared to ground out for the first out of the frame, but Wisconsin starting pitcher Michael Pineda was called for a balk. He would hit Samson with the next pitch to put two runners on base with no outs.

Pineda got the next two batters, but Marquez Smith singled to center to drive in Lara from second base. Mendez, the Rattler centerfielder, tried to throw out Samson at third, but the ball sailed into the Wisconsin dugout and Samson scored for a 4-2 lead.

Peoria tacked on another run in the sixth inning. Pineda gave up a one out walk and a single before he left with runners at first and third. Rattler reliever Justin Souza gave up a weak RBI grounder to Lara that got the runner from third home for a 5-2 advantage. That turned out to be a huge run.

Wisconsin got a late rally going in the top of the eighth. Mendez singled with one out against Steve Vento. One out later, Edilio Colina drove his first home run of the season over the left field wall to get Wisconsin to within 5-4.

In the ninth, Vento retired the first two batters, but Calvin Beamon reached on an infield single. Denny Almonte worked the count to 3-2, but popped out to left to end the game.

Cabrera snapped a personal six game losing streak as he allowed two runs on three hits while striking out five over five innings. Wisconsin is now 1-5 on the first six games of their current 12-game road trip.

Game three of the series is scheduled for Sunday afternoon at O'Brien Field. The Rattlers are sending Juan Ramirez (2-3, 3.86) to the mound. Peoria has Hung-Wen Chen (0-2, 3.35) as their scheduled starting pitcher. Game time is 2:00pm.

Check out the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers Statistics

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Midwest League Stories from May 24, 2008


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