Rattlers Win Season Opener with 4-2 Victory at Beloit

BELOIT, WI – The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers ended the 2022 season with four straight wins at home over the Beloit Sky Carp. The Rattlers opened their 2023 campaign with a 4-2 victory over the Sky Carp at ABC Supply Stadium on Thursday night. The Rattlers offense took advantage of ten walks and two errors by the Sky Carp while four Wisconsin pitchers kept Beloit in check for the victory.

Click here for the boxscore of this game

The Timber Rattlers (1-0) put together a two-out rally in the top of the first inning on a walk to Darrien Miller, a single by Joe Gray Jr, and a walk to Eduardo García to load the bases. Ben Metzinger fell behind Beloit starting pitcher Evan Fitterer 0-2, but worked the count full before walking on the tenth pitch of the at bat to score Miller for a 1-0 lead.

The Sky Carp (0-1) tied the game in the bottom of the first on a two-out, RBI double by Yiddi Cappe.

Wisconsin scored single runs in the second and third innings to take a 3-1 lead. Jesús Chirinos, who led off the second with a double scored on a passed ball. In the third, Je’Von Ward drew a bases-loaded walk to force in the Rattlers third run.

Beloit pulled to within a run on a one-out, RBI double by Joe Mack in the bottom of the third. Cappe followed with a single to put runners on the corners. Wisconsin starting pitcher Joe Hernandez, who came over from the Seattle Mariners in a trade for Justin Topa in January, escaped the jam by getting Jake Thompson to ground into an inning-ending 4-6-3 double play.

Hernandez pitched four innings, allowed two runs on three hits with three walks, and struck out six in his Milwaukee Brewers system debut. He left the game after a 1-2-3 bottom of the fourth with 75 pitches under his belt.

The Rattlers added an insurance run in the top of the seventh. Chirinos stepped to the plate with the bases loaded and one out. He sent a grounder to third. Beloit got the second out on the force at second, but Chirinos beat the relay to first to deny the Sky Carp an inning-ending double play. The run from third scored and Wisconsin was up 4-2.

Ryan Brady replaced Hernandez on the mound for Wisconsin to start the bottom of the fifth and retired the first seven batters he faced. The Snappers coaxed a pair of walks with one out in the seventh, but Brady bounced back with a strikeout and a flyout to end the threat. Brady pitched three scoreless, hitless innings with five strikeouts. The performance by Brady put him in line for his first professional victory.

Karlos Morales and Bo Bowman closed out the game from the Wisconsin bullpen. Morales pitched a perfect eighth inning with a strikeout. Bowman pitched a perfect ninth and struck out the final two batters to pick up his first save in affiliated baseball.

The quartet of Timber Rattlers pitchers combined for fourteen strikeouts and held the Sky Carp to just three hits.

Metzinger and Gray led the Wisconsin offense. Gray had two hits and a stolen base. Metzinger had two singles, two walks, scored a run, and drove in a run.

The Timber Rattlers have won four straight Season Openers dating back to the 2019 season. Wisconsin is now 16-12 in 28 season openers since 1995.

Game two of the series at ABC Supply Stadium is Saturday afternoon. Cam Wagoner is the scheduled starting pitcher for the Timber Rattlers. Alex Williams is set to start for the Sky Carp. Game time is 3:05pm. The broadcast on AM1280, WNAM starts with the Community Blood Center Pregame Show at 2:45pm. Fans can listen on the radio, on the First Pitch app, or at this link.

The Timber Rattlers have their home opener on Tuesday, April 11 against the Peoria Chiefs. Game time is 6:40pm. Tickets are available for Tuesday and for the entire six-game homestand, but are expected to be going fast. Click here to see the scheduled promotions for the series with Peoria.