MWL1 Wisconsin Timber Rattlers

Wisconsin Cracks Kernels 6-3

Published on May 10, 2014 under Midwest League (MWL1)
Wisconsin Timber Rattlers News Release


GRAND CHUTE, WI - The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers got a big day from Chris McFarland and their tandem of pitchers to defeat the Cedar Rapids Kernels 6-3 on Saturday afternoon at Neuroscience Group Field at Fox Cities Stadium. Victor Diaz and Anthony Banda combined for thirteen strikeouts on the hill as McFarland finished the game a double shy of the cycle.

Diaz, the Wisconsin starting pitcher, got the first two outs in the top of the first inning. Then, Chad Christensen doubled to right. Mitch Garver knocked the next pitch to left for a single to score Christensen and the Kernels (19-16) led 1-0.

The Rattlers (16-19) tied the game on an odd play in the bottom of the second inning. They had loaded the bases with one out on a walk to Taylor Brennan and consecutive singles by Omar Garcia and Steve Halcomb. Angel Ortega's routine flyball to right was dropped. The Kernels got a force play at second, but Brennan scored to tie the game.

Kernels starting pitcher Ryan Eades hit a wild streak in the bottom of the third inning. McFarland started the inning with a single to extend his hitting streak to eight games. Clint Coulter drew a walk and Jose Pena blooped in a single to load the bases. Eades would throw a wild pitch with Michael Ratterree at the plate to let McFarland score the go ahead run. Eades retired Ratterree, but threw another wild pitch with Taylor Brennan at the plate and Coulter scored for a 3-1 lead. Later in the inning, Steve Halcomb dropped in a single to right and Pena scored the final run of the inning.

Diaz settled in after the first inning. He went five innings and would match his professional career high for strikeouts in a game with seven. Diaz hit a batter, walked none, and only gave up one run to put himself in position to pick up his first win of the season.

The Kernels scored a run in the top of the sixth off Banda. Christensen walked and stole second to start the inning. Bryan Haar doubled to center to send Christensen home and cut the Wisconsin lead to a pair of runs.

The red-hot McFarland, who had tripled in the fourth inning, put the Rattlers back up by three. He launched a solo home run off the scoreboard in left-center with one out in the bottom of the sixth. McFarland is 16-for-32 during his hitting streak.

Omar Garcia made the score 6-2 in the bottom of the seventh with a triple off Derek Penilla to score Brennan. Wisconsin would load the bases in the inning and McFarland would get a shot at the first cycle in Timber Rattlers history, but Yorman Landa, the third Kernels pitcher of the afternoon, struck him out to end the inning.

Banda walked the first two batters in the top of the eighth inning and the Kernels had runners at the corners with two outs. Haar cashed in one of the runs with a single. Then, Banda retired the potential tying run with his fifth strikeout to take a 6-3 lead into the ninth.

The Kernels went down in order in the ninth inning and Banda, who struck out six over four innings, recorded his first professional save.

The Timber Rattlers are off on Mother's Day and return to action with a home game against the Quad Cities River Bandits on Monday night. Preston Gainey (1-2, 2.59) is the scheduled starting pitcher for the Timber Rattlers. Quad Cities has named Michael Feliz (1-1, 5.52) as their starting pitcher for Monday. Game time is 6:35pm.

Monday is a Qdoba Q*Monday. Purchase a lunch entrée at either Qdoba location in Appleton (3813 E. Calumet Street or 4343 W. Wisconsin Avenue) on Monday before the Rattlers host the River Bandits to receive a ticket to any Monday home game during the 2014 season.

If you can't make it out to the game on Monday, there are several ways to catch the action. MyNEW 32's Sports Showdown will televise the game starting with their pregame show at 6:00pm. The radio broadcast will be on AM1280, WNAM and IHeartRadio starting with the pregame show at 6:15pm. Subscribers can watch the game on MiLB.TV.

Check out the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers Statistics

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Midwest League Stories from May 10, 2014


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