Wisconsin stages incredible comeback in Peoria
July 11, 2005 - Midwest League (MWL1)
Wisconsin Timber Rattlers News Release
PEORIA, IL -- The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers trailed the Peoria Chiefs 11-2 heading into the top of the seventh inning Monday night at O'Brien Field. The Rattlers scored five runs in the seventh and four times in the ninth to tie the game. Omar Falcon doubled with one out in the top of the tenth inning to drive in the go-ahead run. Eric O'Flaherty pitched four scoreless innings in relief and got the win as the Rattlers beat the Chiefs 12-11 in ten innings.
Timber Rattler starting pitcher Ivan Blanco walked the first batter he faced in the bottom of the first inning. Eric Patterson followed with a double. A sacrifice fly by Bo Flowers drove in the first run. A wild pitch by Blanco scored the second.
Chris Colton led off the Rattler second with a solo home run to cut the lead to 2-1.
But, in the bottom of the second inning a pair of Chief players who have tormented Rattler pitchers combined to put four runs on the board. Patterson, who entered the game hitting .452 (19-for-42) against Wisconsin this season, drove in a run with a sacrifice fly. Ryan Harvey hit a three run homer to make it 6-1. Harvey has hit five of his fourteen home runs this season against the Rattlers.
Wisconsin (48-41 overall, 9-10 second half) got a run on an RBI groundout in the top of the third.
The Chiefs (42-47, 7-12) got that run and two others back in the bottom of the fourth. Sam Fuld doubled in the first run. Harvey singled to center to drive in two more. On that play, the throw to the plate appeared to have beaten Fuld for the second out of the inning, but Fuld was ruled safe. Wisconsin manager Scott Steimann argued the call and was ejected shortly after leaving the dugout.
Peoria added two more runs in the bottom of the sixth inning on a double by Flowers and a triple by Jesse Schmidt.
The Rattlers got their bats going in the top of the seventh. The first six batters reached on hits. Matt Tuiasosopo singled and Oswaldo Navarro doubled. An infield single by Jack Arroyo scored Tuiasosopo. A wild pitch by starting pitcher Jesse Estrada scored Navarro. Brent Johnson singled to drive in Arroyo for the third run of the inning. That single was the final pitch thrown by Estrada on the evening. Jerry Blevins relieved and got into trouble immediately.
Yung Chi Chen appeared to have homered on a fly ball to left that hit the top of the yellow line, but the play was ruled a double. Brandon Green followed with a two run single to center and Wisconsin was within 11-7. But, Blevins got through the rest of the inning without incident.
O'Flaherty entered in the bottom of the seventh. He gave up a one out single to Anthony Granato with Anthony Douillard at second base. Douillard tried to score and was thrown out at the plate by Jack Arroyo to keep the score 11-7.
The Rattlers drew a pair of walks in the top of the eighth against Drew Dickson, but could do nothing with them.
Then, in the ninth Wisconsin tied the game. An RBI single by Falcon scored the first run of the inning. The Rattlers loaded the bases with one out. Pinch hitter Rob Johnson chopped a two run double down the right field line to pull the Rattlers to within 11-10. Brent Johnson shot a single through the drawn in infield and sent pinch runner Josh Womack home with the tying run. There was still only one out with runners at second and third, but Layden got a pair of strikeouts to end the inning.
After a scoreless bottom of the ninth, Marshall Hubbard broke an 0-for-11 slump with an infield single. Colton dropped a perfect sacrifice bunt to get Hubbard into scoring position. Falcon followed with a double to right center and Hubbard scored the go-ahead run.
O'Flaherty got the first out of the bottom of the tenth by striking out Fuld. Patterson drew a walk. Harvey tapped out for the second out and Patterson, the tying run took second base. Flowers worked the count to 3-2 before O'Flaherty struck him out to end the game.
O'Flaherty allowed three hits and two walks with four strikeouts for his second win of the season. Green drove in three runs for the Rattlers.
Wisconsin has an off day on Tuesday and returns to action on Wednesday night at Fox Cities Stadium. Mark Lowe (4-3, 5.03ERA) is the scheduled starter for the Timber Rattlers. Phillip Andersen (2-1, 2.49ERA) is the scheduled starter for the Swing of the Quad Cities. Game time is 7:05pm.
Midwest League Stories from July 11, 2005
- Wisconsin stages incredible comeback in Peoria - Wisconsin Timber Rattlers
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- Lugnuts drop game and series to Cougars, 6-3 - Lansing Lugnuts
- Bullpen Implodes in 12-11 Loss to Rattlers - Peoria Chiefs
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