Lazar Strikes Out Ten in 7-2 Win at Peoria

PEORIA, IL - The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers needed a win on Tuesday night against the Peoria Chiefs at Dozer Park to stay in the second half playoff chase. They got a 7-2 win over the Chiefs and they also got an impressive performance from starting pitcher Max Lazar.PEORIA, IL - The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers needed a win on Tuesday night against the Peoria Chiefs at Dozer Park to stay in the second half playoff chase. They got a 7-2 win over the Chiefs and they also got an impressive performance from starting pitcher Max Lazar.

Wisconsin (62-64 overall, 31-26 second half) took the lead with two runs in the top of the fourth inning. Thomas Dillard drew a walk with one out and Je'Von Ward doubled with two outs. Pablo Abreu dropped a broken-bat single into right field to score both runners.

The Rattlers blew the game open with a five-run fifth inning. Antonio Piñero started the rally with a lead-off single. Korry Howell followed with a single. A wild pitch by Peoria starter Colin Schmid moved both runners into scoring position. Connor McVey got the first run of the inning home with a bunt single. Dillard followed with an RBI double. Schmid walked David Fry to load the bases and turned the game over to the bullpen.

Ward greeted reliever Connor Coward with a double off the wall in right-center to score two more runs. Abreu plated the final run of the inning with a sacrifice fly for a 7-0 lead.

The Chiefs (47-79, 17-40) got on the scoreboard in the sixth inning Lazar. Brady Whalen singled with one out. Brendan Donovan was next and his single to center allowed Whalen to take third base. Imeldo Diaz drove in Whalen with a sacrifice fly for a 7-1 lead.

That was the only run that Lazar allowed in the game as he moves his personal record to 7-2. The right-hander set new single-game highs as a professional for innings pitched and strikeouts. Lazar gave up six hits, walked none, and struck out ten over his seven innings before turning the game over to the bullpen.

Peoria got an unearned run off Wilfred Salaman in the bottom of the eighth inning. A walk and an error put runners on the corners. Diaz followed with an infield single to drive in his second run of the night. Salaman stopped the rally in its tracks by getting Carlos Soto to line into a double play.

Logan Gillaspie closed out the game with a scoreless ninth.

In the other game involving the teams fighting for the two second-half Western Division playoff spots, the Clinton LumberKings beat the Kane County Cougars 6-5 at Kane County. Clinton's win allowed them to move to within two games of the Cougars for the top playoff spot and kept them three games clear of Wisconsin in the Wild Card race. Wisconsin pulled to within five games of the Cougars. There are thirteen games left in the regular season.

Up next for the LumberKings and Cougars, Clinton heads home for a three-game series with the Cedar Rapids Kernels, a team that qualified for the Midwest League playoffs in the first half and Kane County hits the road for a three-game series at Beloit.
The Timber Rattlers return home to face the Burlington Bees in the first game of a three-game series on Wednesday night at Neuroscience Group Field at Fox Cities Stadium. Luis Contreras (1-2, 2.70) is the scheduled starting pitcher for Wisconsin. Burlington has named Clayton Chatham (2-2, 3.07) as their starting pitcher. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05pm.
Representatives from Verve Credit Union will be on hand to commit random acts of kindness for the fans before the game. 

The MiLB CommUNITY Initiative presented by Allegiant encourages fans to take action in their communities and to promote unity, understanding, acceptance and inclusion. Fans in attendance will have the opportunity to sign up for a chance to win a $500 Allegiant Voucher at the game. 

Fox Communities Credit Union will also be at the ballpark to hand out cash envelopes to the first 750 fans to attend the game. Random envelopes will have bills of various denominations inside of them.

Enjoy Cher-Make Hot dogs and 16-ounce Pepsi products for $1. There are also 16-ounce domestic beers available for $2 to those of legal drinking age.   These specials are part of the Wednesday night Bang for Your Buck with Y100.

If you can't make it out to the ballpark, the radio broadcast is on AM1280, WNAM and the TuneIn Radio app starting with the Papa John's Pizza Pregame Show at 6:45pm. MiLB.tv subscribers can watch the game over the internet.