Wisconsin Falls Short After Dramatic Comeback

GRAND CHUTE, WI – The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers were down 7-0 to the Western Division-Leading South Bend Cubs on Tuesday night at Neuroscience Group Field at Fox Cities Stadium. The Timber Rattlers scored twice in the fifth and five times in the eighth inning to even the score 7-7. However, the Cubs denied the home team a celebration in front of a crowd of 5,053 fans by scoring a run in the top of the tenth and shutting down the Wisconsin offense in the bottom of the tenth to win game one of the six-game series.

Click here for the boxscore of this game

South Bend (58-45 overall, 24-13 second half) grabbed a 2-0 lead two batters into the game. Wisconsin starting pitcher Israel Puello walked Pete-Crow Armstrong on a 3-2 pitch to start the contest. Jordan Nwogu followed with a home run over the wall in right-center and the Cubs had the early lead.

An infield single, an error, and a grounder to the right side put Kevin Made on third base with two outs in the top of the second. Fabian Pertuz got Made home with a single to center and the unearned run gave South Bend a three-run cushion.

Yohendrick Pinango padded the lead for South Bend with a solo home run to right in the fourth inning.

The Cubs poured it on in the top of the fourth inning. Made doubled with one out and moved to third on a grounder. Pertuz beat out a slow grounder to third for an infield single to score Made. Crow-Armstrong was next, and he hit a two-run home run to the Wisconsin bullpen for a 7-0 lead. South Bend would load the bases in the frame but left them loaded as reliever Brady Schanuel got a strikeout to end the inning.

Wisconsin (54-48, 18-19) cracked the scoreboard in the bottom of the fifth inning against South Bend starter Dalton Stambaugh. Joe Gray Jr walked to start the inning. Darrien Miller got the Rattlers first hit with a one-out single to put runners on the corners. Arbert Cipion lined a triple to the gap in right-center with two outs to score both runners.

.@arbertcippy21 hit his 4th trippy of the year!! ⚾️ pic.twitter.com/QvqopCsr2a

— Wisconsin Timber Rattlers (@TimberRattlers) August 10, 2022

There was a nineteen-minute delay between the top of the sixth and the bottom of the sixth inning. Plate umpire Glen Meyerhofer took a pair of foul balls off his mask in the first inning. Meyerhofer made it through 5-1/2 innings before leaving the game. Base umpire Kyle Stutz followed his partner to the clubhouse to get into his gear to work behind the plate and as the sole umpire once the game resumed.

Jackson Chourio started the comeback in the eighth inning with a double. Zavier Warren followed with a bloop double to right to score Chourio. One out later, Gray lined a double to left to score Warren to pull the Rattlers to with 7-4 and knock reliever Adam Laskey out of the game.

Michael McAvene took over and walked Ben Metzinger to bring Miller back to the plate.

Miller worked the count full and crushed the payoff pitch to a much happier Wisconsin bullpen for a game-tying three-run home run.

.@darrienmillerr hit it out of the park!! After being down 7 runs, the Rattlers come back to tie the game in the 8th!! #TRatNation #comeback pic.twitter.com/uyosmAl8nq

— Wisconsin Timber Rattlers (@TimberRattlers) August 10, 2022

Chourio singled, stole second, and went to third on a throwing error with one out in the bottom of the ninth, but he was left stranded there and the game went to the tenth inning.

Pablo Aliendo started the top of the tenth at second base and called on Made to bunt him over to third. BJ Murray was next, and he sent a hard grounder to Eduardo García at short with the infield pulled in on the grass. García fell to the ground as he stopped the ball with a back hand. He threw to the plate from a seated position and the throw was in time but off target. Catcher Jeferson Quero came around with the sweep tag, but Aliendo was ruled safe and the Cubs had an 8-7 lead.

The Rattlers started the tenth inning with Quero at second, but Sheldon Reed retired all three batters he faced to close out the game for his second save of the season.

Game two of the series is Wednesday night. Justin Jarvis (8-6, 3.96) is the scheduled starting pitcher for the Timber Rattlers. South Bend has named Porter Hodge (1-0, 1.17) as their starter. Game time is 6:40pm.

The first 1,000 fans to attend this game will receive a specially designed Racing Night Timber Rattlers t-shirt from 4imprint as part of our salute to motorsports! There will be some cool race cars out front before the game for fans to see, too.

Wednesday is also a Bark in the Park game presented by Tito’s Handmade Vodka and Fleet Farm. The left field berm will be set aside for dogs and their families to enjoy the game. Admission for dogs is free as long owners sign a waiver that their good doggos are current on their vaccinations (Rabies, DHLP, Parvo, and Bordetella).

If you can’t make it out to the ballpark, the radio broadcast is on AM1280, WNAM and internet audio starting at 6:20pm. The game is also available on MiLB.tv for subscribers.