Walks to Whitecaps Hurt Rattlers in West Michigan
COMSTOCK PARK, WI – The West Michigan Whitecaps ended the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers three-game winning streak with a 4-1 victory at LMCU Ballpark on Wednesday night. The Rattlers held a slim 1-0 lead but walks to West Michigan lead-off hitters in the bottom of the fifth, seventh, and eighth innings
COMSTOCK PARK, WI – The West Michigan Whitecaps ended the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers three-game winning streak with a 4-1 victory at LMCU Ballpark on Wednesday night. The Rattlers held a slim 1-0 lead but walks to West Michigan lead-off hitters in the bottom of the fifth, seventh, and eighth innings came around to score to cost the Timber Rattlers a chance to lower their magic number to clinch their first playoff spot since 2016.
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Tayden Hall put together a two-out rally in the top of the second inning to give the Timber Rattlers (37-22) the lead. Hall lined a hit softly down the line in left and stretched the single into a double just ahead of the throw from Seth Stephenson. Hall raced for third on a ball that popped away from catcher Stephen Scott. The throw to third by Scott was into left field and Hall scored without a play for the 1-0 lead.
Wisconsin had runners at second and third with one out after Hall walked and Eduarqui Fernández doubled in the top of the fifth. The Whitecaps (30-29) brought the infield in with Jheremy Vargas at the plate and the strategy worked for them. Vargas hit a chopper up the middle and shortstop Peyton Graham grabbed the ball and caught Hall between third and home for the second out. The Rattlers still had runners on the corners, but the game turned on the first of two big plays by Whitecaps third baseman Danny Serretti in the inning.
Luis Lara hit a hard grounder down the third base line and appeared to give Wisconsin some insurance. It was not to be as Serretti made a diving stop near the base and fired to first to get Lara for the final out to keep the Rattlers lead at one run.
In the bottom of the fifth, Wisconsin starting pitcher Tate Kuehner walked Luke Gold to start the inning. Gold tagged on a deep fly to center to advance to second base. Serretti followed with an RBI single to left to knock in Gold to even the score.
Kuehner allowed one run on two hits with two walks and five strikeouts over 5-2/3 innings for a no decision.
Gold started the rally that gave the Whitecaps the lead in the bottom of the seventh inning when reliever Aaron Rund walked him. Rund also walked Peyton Graham to put two on with no outs. Serretti grounded into a force out at second to give the Whitecaps runners at the corners.
Dom Johnson drove in Gold with a deep sacrifice fly to center and the Whitecaps were up 2-1.
The Timber Rattlers threatened to tie the game in the top of the eighth inning against Michael Bienlien, who had allowed one run in 23-2/3 innings in fourteen appearances before Wednesday night. Lara singled with one out but was erased on a force play on a grounder off the bat of Dylan O’Rae. Bienlien walked Jadher Areinamo to put two runners on base for Luke Adams. The count went full before Bienlien got the strikeout to end the threat.
Another lead-off walk in the bottom of the eighth inning cost Wisconsin reliever Yerlin Rodriguez as he issued a free pass to Seth Stephenson on four pitches. Roberto Campos had a one-out single to left with Stephenson running on the play. The throw from Vargas went to third base and that allowed Campos to take second base.
Wisconsin brought their infield in for Jose Sibrian, the next batter. Sibrian hit a hard grounder to third. Adams made a diving stop but threw wildly to the plate to allow Stephenson to score. A sacrifice fly by Gold knocked in the final run of the inning. Then, Bienlien pitched a perfect ninth inning to close out the Timber Rattlers.
In the first-half West Division playoff race, Wisconsin’s magic number stayed at five as their lead over the Cedar Rapids Kernels shrank to 2-1/2 games with seven games remaining. The Kernels won their third straight game with a 7-3 win at Lansing on Wednesday night.
Game three of the series is Thursday night. Wisconsin has named K.C. Hunt (1-0, 3.00) as their starting pitcher. Joe Miller 0-0, 2.60) is set to start for the Whitecaps. Game time at LMCU Ballpark is 5:35pm CDT. The radio broadcast is on AM1280, WNAM starting with the Community Blood Center Pregame Show at 5:15pm. The game is also available on the internet and the Bally Live App.