DAVENPORT, IA - The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers were outhit 9-3 by the Quad Cities River Bandits on Friday night a Modern Woodmen Park. The Rattlers made the most of their hits as they clubbed a pair of home runs to defeat the first half Western Division champions 3-2.The River Bandits
DAVENPORT, IA - The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers were outhit 9-3 by the Quad Cities River Bandits on Friday night a Modern Woodmen Park. The Rattlers made the most of their hits as they clubbed a pair of home runs to defeat the first half Western Division champions 3-2.
The River Bandits (41-23) had two on with two outs when Wisconsin starting pitcher Adam Hill walked Ruben Castro to load the bases and extend the inning. An infield single by Trey Dawson was able to get the run home for a 1-0 lead.
A two-out walk led to Wisconsin (31-36) taking the lead in the top of the third inning. Brice Turang drew the free pass with two outs in the frame. That brought David Fry to the plate and Fry cranked his eighth home run of the season to the berm seating beyond the wall in left-center and the Rattlers were up 2-1.
In the fourth inning, Gabriel García hit a lead-off home run and the Rattlers moved their lead to 3-1.
Hill settled in after the second inning as he pitched through the sixth without allowing another run. The Rattlers All-Star starting pitcher scattered six hits, walked two, and struck out six before turning the 3-1 lead over to the bullpen.
Victor Castaneda relieved Hill to start the seventh and he worked two scoreless, hitless innings with four strikeouts.
Chad Whitmer took over in the bottom of the ninth inning and got the first out before giving up a double to Freudis Nova. That double was Nova's fourth hit of the night. Whitmer got the second out of the inning on a grounder to short, but the game took an interesting turn on the next three batters.
Ruben Castro reached on an infield single to move Nova to third base to keep the game alive and bring the winning run to the plate. Dawson drove in his second run of the game with a single to right and the Bandits were within a run.
Ross Adolph stepped to the plate and hit a line drive ticketed for the left field corner. But García made a leaping grab of the liner at third base and held on for the final out of the game.
The win was the second straight for the Rattlers.
Wisconsin had not had a homer since June 8. The Rattlers have four homers in thirteen games this month. Fry has two home runs and García has the other two round-trippers.
The series continues on Saturday night at Modern Woodmen Park. Scott Sunitsch (4-6, 4.37) is the scheduled starting pitcher for Wisconsin. The River Bandits have named Jose Bravo (2-2, 3.89) as their starter. Game time is 6:35pm The radio broadcast is on AM1280, WNAM and the TuneIn Radio app starting with the Papa John's Pizza Pregame Show at 6:15pm. MiLB.tv subscribers can watch the game over the internet.
