MWL1 Wisconsin Timber Rattlers

Wisconsin Timber Rattlers vs. Beloit Snappers

Published on August 20, 2016 under Midwest League (MWL1)
Wisconsin Timber Rattlers News Release


GRAND CHUTE, WI - The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers beat the Beloit Snappers 3-2 on Saturday night in front of a crowd of 6,396 at Neuroscience Group Field at Fox Cities Stadium. Lucas Erceg hit a three-run home run and four Wisconsin pitchers made that homer stand to allow the Rattlers to pick up ground in their playoff race.

Erceg put the Timber Rattlers (61-64 overall, 27-28 second half) in front in the first inning. Luis Aviles and Isan Diaz each singled with one out. Erceg was next and he hit his fourth homer of the season. The long, three-run shot cleared the home run porch in right field and left the stadium. Those were the only runs the Rattlers would need.

Beloit (53-71, 21-34) chipped away at the Wisconsin lead with single runs in the second and third innings against Wisconsin starting pitcher Thomas Jankins. Skye Bolt tripled to start the second. A sacrifice fly by Justin Higley knocked in Bolt. In the third, Trace Loehr singled and Luis Barrera followed with a double for an RBI to make the score 3-2.

Conor Harber took over for Jankins in the top of the fourth inning and would retire the first nine batters he faced. Harber walked Ryan Howell to lead off the seventh inning, but got the first out of the inning on his fifth strikeout. He got a huge double play to get out of the inning when Howell was running on the first pitch to Jose Chavez, who sent a popup to shallow center. Rattlers shortstop Isan Diaz raced back to make an over the shoulder catch before making an easy throw to first to double Howell off first base.

Quintin Torres-Costa took over for Harber to start the top of the eighth inning and he worked around a two out-out single to keep the Rattlers up 3-2. The left-handed Torres-Costa came back out to start the ninth and struck out Bolt to start the frame and extend his current scoreless streak to 16-2/3 innings. Then, Beloit elected to bring on Michael Soto, a right-hander, to pinch-hit. The Rattlers made a move to call closer Nate Griep out of the bullpen.

Griep, who set the Timber Rattlers franchise record for saves with 20 in his last appearance, struck out Soto for the second out. However, Howell kept the Snappers alive with a double to left.

Jesus Lopez, a switch-hitter, became the second Beloit pinch-hitter of the ninth inning as he stepped to the plate. Griep struck out Lopez swinging to close out the game and ring up his 21st save of the season.

In the second half Western Division Wild Card race, the Rattlers got some help. The Cedar Rapids Kernels rallied to defeat the Burlington Bees 7-3 and the Kane County Cougars edged the Quad Cities River Bandits 4-2. The Bees record dropped to 28-27 in the second half. The Rattlers and River Bandits are both 27-28, one game behind the Bees for the Wild Card. There are 15 games left in the second half.

The final game of the series is Sunday afternoon at Neuroscience Group Field at Fox Cities Stadium. Matt Smith (0-1, 18.00) is the scheduled starting pitcher for the Timber Rattlers. Beloit has named Michael Murray (4-2, 4.75) as their starter. Game time is 1:05pm.

This is the final Brewers Sunday of the 2016 season from 107.5, The Fan and Brewers legend Don Money will be at the game to meet with Brewers fans of all ages. Timber Rattlers players and coaches will be wearing their Brewers Sunday jerseys for the final time this season. There will be a Silent Auction for those jerseys during the game. The proceeds from the auction will benefit Children's Hospital of Wisconsin through the Timber Rattlers Community Foundation Fund.

Sunday also features an appearance by the Kickapoo Kids, a group of players from the 1953-1956 Gays Mills High School team that beat schools 20 times their size as they advanced to the single-class Wisconsin State Baseball Tournament three out of the four years. This team is the basis for the novel The Amazing Journey of the Kickapoo Kids.

Fans may play catch on the field from noon until 12:30pm courtesy of Rasmussen College. Players will be available for a postgame autograph session sponsored by Tundraland. After the game and postgame, settle into a seat in the stadium to watch the premier episode of the new FOX show Pitch.

If you can't make it to the ballpark, the radio broadcast is on 1280 AM, WNAM starting with the pregame show at 12:45pm. The game is also available on the internet through IHeartRadio, TuneIn, and MiLB.TV.

Check out the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers Statistics

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Midwest League Stories from August 20, 2016


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