MWL1 Wisconsin Timber Rattlers

Rattlers Can't Keep Tincaps From Reaching 70

Published on July 28, 2009 under Midwest League (MWL1)
Wisconsin Timber Rattlers News Release


RATTLERS CAN'T KEEP TINCAPS FROM REACHING 70

FORT WAYNE, IN - The Fort Wayne TinCaps rode the pitching of Simon Castro and the bat of Blake Tekotte to a 4-0 lead and held on for a 4-2 win over the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers on Tuesday at Parkview Field. The TinCaps picked up win #70 on the season with the victory.

Tekotte gave the TinCaps (70-31 overall, 25-6 second half) a lead right away in the bottom of the first. He drilled the second pitch from Rattlers starting pitcher Wily Peralta over the wall in right for a lead off homer and 1-0 Fort Wayne lead.

Castro held on to that lead for five innings. The Midwest League leader in strikeouts allowed one hit and struck out nine without giving up a run. Castro now has 119 strikeouts on the season.

Peralta struggled with control and walked six in four innings, but only allowed the homer to Tekotte before leaving the game.

Fort Wayne added a run in the bottom of the seventh. Tekotte reached on an infield single against Evan Frederickson. He was sacrificed to second and stole third base. After an intentional walk to Jaff Decker put runners at the corners, Justin Baum drove in Tekotte with a sacrifice fly for a 2-0 lead.

Then, the eighth inning showed the difference between a team that has lost 11 of their last 13 games and a team that won its 70th game of the season.

In the top of the eighth inning, Wisconsin (47-53, 13-17) got a chance with two outs against Fort Wayne reliever Nick Schumacher. He hit John Delaney in the helmet with an 0-2 pitch. Delaney walked off the field under his own power and was replaced by pinch runner Pete Fatse. Derrick McPhearson drew a walk to put the tying runs on base. Juan Sanchez worked the count to 3-2, but Schumacher struck out the Rattlers shortstop for the third out.

In the bottom of the eighth, Frederickson got the first two outs, but walked the number eight and nine hitters to bring Tekotte to the plate again. The TinCaps centerfielder blooped in a single to right to drive in a run. Daniel Robertson followed with an RBI single for a 4-0 lead. Frederickson walked one more batter -- the eleventh of the night by a Rattlers pitcher -- to load the bases with two outs before being replaced by Nick Tyson. Those two runs were huge.

Erik Komatsu and Brett Lawrie started the bottom of the ninth inning with singles against Fort Wayne closer Brad Brach in a non-save situation. Corey Kemp doubled to drive in both runners and bring the tying run to the plate. Brach strangled the Timber Rattlers rally with a strikeout, a fly out, and a strikeout to close out the game.

Four Fort Wayne pitchers combined to strikeout 15 Timber Rattlers. Rattlers pitchers walked 11 TinCaps batters.

Game two of the series is Wednesday morning. RJ Seidel (0-0, 2.08) gets the start for Wisconsin. Stiven Osuna (8-6, 3.84) is the scheduled starting pitcher for the TinCaps. Game time is 10:05am CDT.

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Midwest League Stories from July 28, 2009


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