Bass Stops Rattlers Win Streak

GRAND CHUTE, WI - West Michigan Whitecaps starting pitcher Brad Bass struck out nine and allowed four hits over 7-2/3 innings and picked up the win as the Whitecaps defeated the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers 3-0 on Monday afternoon at Neuroscience Group Field at Fox Cities Stadium. The Rattlers had their five-game winning streak ended with the loss.

The Whitecaps (33-66 overall, 12-18 second half) took the lead with a run in the top of the fifth inning. Cooper Johnson doubled with one out in the frame to snap Wisconsin starting pitcher Max Lazar's streak of twelve straight West Michigan batters retired. Ulrich Bojarski followed with a single to left to drive in Johnson for the 1-0 lead.

West Michigan added to their lead in the top of the seventh inning with Johnson and Bojarski leading the way. Johnson drew a walk and Bojarski singled with one out to set the table. Daniel Reyes cleared the table with a two-run double to center and the Whitecaps were up 3-0.

Wisconsin's offense was silenced by Bass. He retired seventeen of the eighteen batters he faced between a lead-off single by Leugim Castillo in the third inning and a two-out single by Yeison Coca in the eighth. The only runner to reach base in that stretch of the game was when Castillo reached on an error with two outs in the fifth.

The Timber Rattlers (49-50, 18-12brought the tying run to the plate in the bottom of the eighth inning. Bass left the game after the single by Coca and Whitecaps reliever Yaya Chentouf walked Korry Howell to bring Jesús Lujano to the plate. Lujano hit a grounder to short on the first pitch of his at bat and was retired on the play.

Chentouf pitched around a one-out walk to Thomas Dillard in the bottom of the ninth to get to record his fourth save of the season.

The loss denied Wisconsin their first six-game winning streak of the season and a shot at their first above .500 mark on their overall record since they were 4-3 on April 10.

Wisconsin did go 5-1 on the six-game homestand, but their record on Mondays during the 2019 season dropped to 2-9.
The Timber Rattlers are off on Tuesday. They return to action on Wednesday with the first game of a series with the Cedar Rapids Kernels at Perfect Game Field. Logan Gillaspie (3-5, 3.90) is the scheduled starting pitcher for Wisconsin. The Kernels have named Josh Winder (6-2, 2.86) as their starter. First pitch is scheduled at 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.