Wagoner Shows His Quality to Beat the Cubs

SOUTH BEND, IN – Wisconsin Timber Ratters starting pitcher Cameron Wagoner didn’t get out of the first inning last Wednesday against the Cedar Rapids Kernels at home. On this Wednesday at Four Winds Field, Wagoner was facing a South Bend Cubs lineup that scored nine runs and collected fourteen hits in a victory over the Rattlers on Tuesday night. Wagoner found his footing after a shaky second inning and pitched a professional career high six innings to pick up the win as the Rattlers beat the Cubs 4-2.

Click here for the boxscore

Wisconsin (17-15 second half, 43-53 overall) took the lead in the second inning on an unearned run. Darrien Miller reached second on a throwing error by shortstop Jeff Shaw. Alex Hall knocked in Miller with a two-out single to right and the Rattlers were up 1-0.

The lead didn’t last long as South Bend (14-18, 44-53) came right back in the bottom of the second against Wagoner. Yohendrick Pinango singled and stole second with one out. Then, Felix Stevens drove in Pinango with a double to tie the game. Wagoner gave up a two-out walk before getting the final out of the inning to keep the game tied 1-1.

Miller started Wisconsin’s rally to go back in front in the top of the fourth when he singled to start the frame. Eduardo García followed by lining a pitch to the gap in left-center. The ball rolled all the way to the way for an RBI triple and a 2-1 lead. Jose Acosta padded the advantage with a sacrifice fly to right to send García across the plate.

Wagoner didn’t allow a hit by the Cubs after the RBI double by Stevens in the second inning. The only base runner he let reach base after the second was when Ezequiel Pagan struck out but reached on a wild pitch with two outs in the fifth inning. Wagoner wasn’t fazed as he got the final out of the frame on a routine fly to left and worked a perfect sixth before turning the lead over to the bullpen.

Tuesday night was the first time Wagoner pitched six innings in a game as a professional. He allowed three hits, walked one, and struck out seven.

The Wisconsin offense added an insurance run in the top of the ninth. García and Hall had back-to-back singles to start the inning. Ben Metzinger sent a pop foul behind first towards the Cubs bullpen. García made a hard bluff to the plate and Moises Ballesteros bought it. Ballesteros fired a throw to the plate that bounced to the Wisconsin bullpen to allow García to score and give Wisconsin a 4-1 lead.

Sam Gardner, who pitched a scoreless seventh and eighth inning out of the Wisconsin bullpen without allowing a hit, went back out for the ninth. James Triantos started the inning with a single and Ballesteros walked to end Gardner’s night. Tanner Shears entered the game from the bullpen with the tying run at the plate.

Shears needed one pitch to get the first out on a flyout to center, but a wild pitch and a walk to Pinango loaded the bases to bring Stevens to the plate as the potential winning run.

Stevens struck out on three straight 96-mph fastballs from Shears for the second out. The right-handed closer needed one more out, but ramped up the degree of difficulty as he threw another wild pitch with Christian Franklin at the plate to let Triantos score and put the tying runs in scoring position.

With the players in the Wisconsin dugout holding their collective breaths on a 2-2 pitch, Shears got Franklin to swing and miss for strike three to end the game for his fifth save of the season.

Game three of the series is Thursday night at Four Winds Field. Alexander Cornielle (0-1, 4.60) is the scheduled starting pitcher for the Rattlers. The Cubs have named Brandon Birdsell (2-5, 2.52) as their starting pitcher. Game time is 6:05pm CDT. The broadcast on AM1280, WNAM starts with the Community Blood Center Pregame Show at 5:45pm. Fans can listen on the radio, on the First Pitch app, or at this link.