MIDLAND, MI - The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers opened their six-game road trip to Michigan with a well-played 7-2 win over the Great Lakes Loons on Wednesday night at Dow Diamond. The Rattlers snapped a 1-1 tie with three runs in the seventh and added to their lead with three runs
MIDLAND, MI - The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers opened their six-game road trip to Michigan with a well-played 7-2 win over the Great Lakes Loons on Wednesday night at Dow Diamond. The Rattlers snapped a 1-1 tie with three runs in the seventh and added to their lead with three runs in the eighth on the way to the victory.
Wisconsin (34-54 overall, 8-12 second half) took the lead in the second inning. Tucker Neuhaus doubled and stole third with one out. Devin Hairston knocked in Neuhaus with a single for the 1-0 lead.
The Loons (44-45, 8-12) had excellent chances against Rattlers starting pitcher Victor Diaz in the first two innings. Gavin Lux, who is from Kenosha, Wisconsin, tripled to start the bottom of the first, but Diaz got out of the inning with no runs. Carlos Rincon doubled to start the Great Lakes half of the second inning, but was left stranded.
Diaz would not be so fortunate in the third inning. Jared Walker hit a solo home run with one out to tie the game.
The Loons threatened to take the lead in the bottom of the sixth inning as Diaz allowed back-to-back singles with one out. Reliever Daniel Brown was called out of the Wisconsin bullpen and got a force out and a strikeout to end the inning with the score still tied 1-1.
Great Lakes starting pitcher Leo Crawford ran into trouble in the top of the seventh. Hairston doubled with one out and Crawford walked the next two batters to load the bases. Crawford, who had allowed just four hits in the game through the first six innings, turned the game over to the Loons bullpen and he did not get the help that Diaz received from his reliever.
Gilbert Lara greeted Angel German with single to right that scored two runs to put the Rattlers ahead 3-1. Then, Demi Orimoloye drove in another run with a single for a 4-1 lead.
Brown got into trouble with one out in the bottom of the seventh. Consecutive singles put two runners on base for the Loons. Garrett Hope followed with a double off the wall in right to score a run to cut Wisconsin's lead to two runs. Brown got a strikeout for the second out, but walked Lux to load the bases. Brown stranded three Loons in the inning by getting the next batter to ground into a force out.
Wisconsin's hitters went back to work in the top of the eighth inning and got three more runs for insurance without a base hit. An error, a hit batsman, and a walk loaded the bases. Hairston drew a walk to force in a run and end German's night.
Jeremiah Muhammad entered the game and threw a wild pitch that let the second run of the inning score. Ronnie Gideon drove in the final run of the frame with a sacrifice fly.
Brown pitched the final two innings without incident to close out the Loons. The left-handed reliever struck out five over 3-2/3 innings to earn his fourth win of the season.
The win allowed the Rattlers to snap their five-game losing streak. Wisconsin's victory also extended Great Lakes' losing streak to six games.
Game two of the series at Dow Diamond is set for Thursday night. Zack Brown (2-4, 3.88) is the scheduled starting pitcher for the Timber Rattlers. Imani Abdullah (0-1, 6.23) is set to start for the Loons. Game time is 6:05pm CDT. The radio broadcast is on AM1280, WNAM starting with the Potawatomi Hotel & Casino Pregame Show at 5:45pm. The broadcast is also available on TuneIn Radio, IHeartRadio, and MiLB.tv.
