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MWL Wisconsin Timber Rattlers

Rattlers Rout Great Lakes

August 23, 2024 - Midwest League (MWL)
Wisconsin Timber Rattlers News Release


MIDLAND, MI - The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers offense exploded for sixteen hits to defeat the Great Lakes Loons 14-1 on Friday night at Dow Diamond. Wisconsin led from wire-to-wire and held that lead thanks to solid work from a pair of pitchers and first-rate defense for the team's second win in a row.

Wisconsin (72-45 overall, 30-21 second half) took a 2-0 lead two batters - and three pitches - into the game. Luis Lara singled to left on a 1-0 pitch from Loons starting pitcher Wyatt Crowell. Cooper Pratt crushed the next pitch over the wall in left for a two-run home run. The blast was Pratt's fourth of the season - and second of the series at Dow Diamond.

The Loons (61-55, 27-23) cut into the lead with a run in the bottom of the second inning on a two-out, RBI single by Jordan Thompson.

Great Lakes had runners at first and second with one out in the bottom of the third inning with Kyle Nevin at the plate. Wisconsin starting pitcher Stiven Cruz escaped the jam by getting Nevin to hit into an inning-ending, 6-4-3 double play.

The Rattlers greeted Loons reliever Jacob Meador to the game with two runs in the top of the fourth. Tayden Hall walked, Ramόn Rodríguez reached on an infield single, and a deep fly off the bat of Jesus Chirinos moved both runners into scoring position. Hedbert Pérez ripped a double to right to score both runners for a 4-1 lead.

Chirinos added to the Wisconsin advantage with a two-out, RBI single in the top of the fifth.

Cruz cruised through the fourth and fifth inning only allowing a harmless two-out single in the fourth. He pitched five innings, his longest outing of the season, allowed one run, walked two, and struck out three before turning the game over to the bullpen for the sixth inning.

Tyler Wehrle gave up singles to Nevin and Jake Gelof with one out in the bottom of the sixth. He got the second out with a strikeout. He would get the final out by alertly covering the plate.

The runners took off on a 1-1 pitch to Sean McClain. Nevin stopped and Gelof was hung up between first and second. Rodríguez, the Wisconsin catcher, threw behind Gelof to first base. Hall ran Gelof towards second and flipped the ball to Vargas, who began running Gelof back to first with no one covering the base. Meanwhile, Nevin had rounded third to head for the plate. Vargas saw this and threw a strike to Wehrle, who was covering the plate. Wehrle dropped the tag on Nevin for the final out of the inning.

The Wisconsin offense put the game away in the top of the eighth. They loaded the bases on two singles and a walk. Jheremy Vargas singled to right to score the first run of the frame. Lara laced a double to the corner in left with one out to clear the bases for a 9-1 lead.

In the top of the ninth, Wisconsin lit up the scoreboard. Jesus Luna gave up a single to Hall and an RBI double to Rodríguez. The next two batters walked to reload the bases. Luna struck out the next batter but left in favor of position player Jesus Alonso.

Alonso lobbed in a pair of pitches to Eduarqui Fernandez for balls to start the at bat. Fernandez, who had been mired in a 3-for-41 slump with three RBI over thirteen games in August, timed up the next shoulder-high Eephus pitch to launch a long home run to left for Wisconsin's fourth grand slam of the season for a 14-1 lead.

Wehrle gave up a single in the bottom of the ninth before he got a force play of the first out and a game-ending 6-4-3 double play to complete four scoreless innings for his first save with the Timber Rattlers.

Every Rattler in the lineup had at least one hit as the team collected hits to match their season high. Lara and Rodríguez led the way with three hits each. Prat, Hall, Chirinos, and Jadher Areinamo each had two hits.

The Timber Rattlers were 5-for-13 with runners in scoring position on Friday night. They had been 8-for-53 with runners in scoring position in the first three games of the series.

Game Five of the series is Saturday night at Dow Diamond. Ryan Birchard (0-1, 9.00) is the scheduled starting pitcher for the Timber Rattlers. Payton Martin (2-4, 4.46) is set to start for the Loons. Game time is 6:05pm CDT. The radio broadcast is on AM1280, WNAM with the Community Blood Center Pregame Show set to start at 5:45pm. The game is also available on the internet and the Bally Live App.

R H E

WIS 200 210 045 - 14 16 0

GL 010 000 000 - 1 6 0

Click here for the boxscore

Click here for the scoring plays

HOME RUNS:

WIS:

Cooper Pratt (4th, 1 on in 1st inning off Wyatt Crowell, 0 out)

Eduarqui Fernandez (8th, GRAND SLAM in 9th inning off Juan Alonso, 1 out)

WP: Stiven Cruz (2-2)

LP: Wyatt Crowell (0-1)

SAVE: Tyler Wehrle (1)

TIME: 2:39

ATTN: 4,842

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