MWL Wisconsin Timber Rattlers

Rattlers Go Deep to Take Game One at South Bend

Published on August 6, 2023 under Midwest League (MWL)
Wisconsin Timber Rattlers News Release


SOUTH BEND, IN - The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers rallied from a 2-1 deficit with three runs in the top of the fifth inning and received three scoreless innings from the bullpen to beat the South Bend Cubs 5-2 in game one of a doubleheader on Sunday afternoon at Four Winds Field.

Bradley Blalock, the Rattlers starting pitcher who was making his Timber Rattlers debut, walked the first two batters in the bottom of the first inning. He got a strikeout for the first out, but the Cubs pulled a double steal on the pitch and Ezequiel Pagan was called safe at third on a close play. Moises Ballesteros sent the next pitch deep enough to center to score Pagan on a sacrifice fly for a 1-0 lead for the Cubs (16-19 second half, 46-54 overall).

Wisconsin (18-17, 44-55) responded with a run in the top of the second. Joe Gray Jr singled, stole second, and went to third on an error with one out. Hendry Mendez drove in Gray with a grounder to second to tie the game.

Blalock, who was acquired from the Boston Red Sox in a deadline deal for Luis Urias, had to work around an error and a walk in the second inning but did it with a caught stealing on a strong throw to third by catcher Matt Wood and a strikeout.

Felix Stevens put the Cubs back in front in the bottom of the fourth. Blalock struck out the first two batters he faced in the inning to give him six strikeouts for the game. However, Blalock fell behind Stevens 2-1 and Stevens cracked the next pitch over the wall in center for the go-ahead homer. Stevens is on a fifteen-game hitting streak and has hit three homers in the first five games of the series with Wisconsin.

The Timber Rattlers eight and nine hitters were not impressed with Stevens hot steak. Alex Hall tied the game in the top of the fifth with a lead-off homer. Jose Acosta followed with a homer and the back-to-back blasts gave the Rattlers a 3-2 lead.

Later in the inning, Brock Wilken drew a two-out walk. Ernesto Martinez cashed in Wilken with a double to right-center and the Rattlers were up 4-2.

Blalock was done after four innings. He allowed two runs on two hits with three walks and six strikeouts.

Shane Smith relieved Blalock to start the bottom of the fifth and walked the lead-off batter before retiring the next three batters.

The Cubs went to Adam Laskey for the top of the sixth and he retired the first two Rattlers before walking Hall on four pitched. Acosta followed by sending a ball down the line in left for a double. Hall raced around third and just beat the tag at the plate with a headfirst dive for an insurance run and a 5-2 lead.

Smith gave up a one-out walk and a two-out single in the bottom of the sixth but managed to work a scoreless inning to extend his scoreless streak to 11-1/3 innings. In sixteen appearances with the Timber Rattlers since his promotion from Carolina, Smith has allowed one run and struck out sixteen over 14-2/3 innings.

The bottom of the seventh belonged to Tanner Shears and he pitched around a walk and a single to close out the game for his sixth save of the season.

R H E

WIS 010 031 0 - 5 7 1

SB 100 100 0 - 2 4 2

HOME RUNS:

WIS:

Alex Hall (10th, 0 on in 5th inning off Connor Noland, 0 out)

Jose Acosta (5th, 0 on in 5th inning off Connor Noland, 0 out)

SB:

Felix Stevens (8th, 0 on in 4th inning off Bradley Blalock, 2 out)

WP: Shane Smith (2-0)

LP: Connor Noland (1-6)

SV: Tanner Shears (6)

TIME: 2:01

Check out the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers Statistics

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Midwest League Stories from August 6, 2023


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