Captains Sink Timber Rattlers 6-2, Force Winner-Take-All Game 3 for Midwest League Title

EASTLAKE, OH – The Lake County Captains (77-53) (3-1) scored five unanswered runs to outlast the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers (77-54) (3-1) by a score of 6-2 on Tuesday night at Classic Auto Group Park.

With the victory, the Captains have now forced a third game to decide the 2024 Midwest League Champion on Wednesday night at 6:35 p.m. in Eastlake.

Captains LHP Matt Wilkinson (1-0), MLB Pipeline’s No. 30 Cleveland prospect, earned his first Minor League playoff victory, pitching a professional-best 6.2 innings, allowing two runs, and fanning five. His 6.2 frames are tied for the most by a Captain in a playoff start since at least 2005 with RHP Brett Brach (9/18/2010 vs. Clinton) and LHP Vidal Nuño (9/19/2010 vs. Clinton).

Wisconsin struck first in the top of the first inning when 2B Jadher Areinamo, MLB Pipeline’s No. 24 Milwaukee prospect, roped an RBI single. Lake County answered in the bottom of the first with an RBI fielder’s choice from DH Wuilfredo Antunez.

In the top of the third, the Timber Rattlers regained the lead on a two-out RBI single by RF Yophery Rodriguez, MLB Pipeline’s No. 6 Milwaukee prospect. Next half-inning, Captains RF Jonah Advincula barreled a two-out, two-run home run to give the Captains a 3-2 lead.

Antunez added insurance in the bottom of the sixth by hitting an RBI ground-rule double. In the bottom of the eighth, SS Angel Genao, MLB Pipeline’s No. 5 Cleveland and No. 87 overall prospect, pelted a two-run ground-rule double to extend Lake County’s advantage to 6-2.

Lake County LHP Adam Tulloch retired Wisconsin in order in the top of the ninth to record his first save of the playoffs. The left-hander pitched 2.1 perfect innings of relief, striking out one on 25 pitches (15 strikes). Wilkinson and Tulloch combined to retire the final 12 Wisconsin hitters in order.

W: Matt Wilkinson (LC) – 6.2 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 5 K

L: Alexander Cornielle (WIS) – 3.2 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 2 K

SV: Adam Tulloch (LC) – 2.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K

Lake County and Wisconsin will conclude the 2024 Midwest League season with a winner-take-all Game 3 of the MWL Championship Series on Wednesday, September 18 at Classic Auto Group Park in Eastlake. First pitch is scheduled for 6:35 p.m.

The game will be an MiLB Free Game of the Day, and will be broadcast for free on MLB.com. It will also be broadcast on the Bally Live app and MiLB.TV, with social media coverage courtesy of @LCCaptains on X and Instagram.

Notes to Know

- The Lake County Captains are one win away from their second Midwest League Championship and first since 2010.

- OF Jonah Advincula went 2-for-4 with a two-run home run and two runs scored. The 2023 eighth-round pick out of Washington State has reached base in 39 of his last 45 starts.

- Between the regular season and postseason, INF Angel Genao ranks third in Minor League Baseball with 40 doubles across Single-A Lynchburg and Lake County. He is the first Cleveland Minor Leaguer with 40 doubles since current Cleveland OF Will Brennan also clubbed 40 in 2022 across Double-A Akron and Triple-A Columbus.

- OF Wuilfredo Antunez is batting .556 (5-for-9) in the Midwest League Championship Series, the third-highest mark by a Captain in a League Championship Series since at least 2005.

The Lake County Captains are the High-A Affiliate of the Cleveland Guardians, and have been a Class A Affiliate of Cleveland since the team was founded in 2003. To find out more information about the Captains or purchase tickets, visit CaptainsBaseball.com, or call (440) 975-8085.