Dillard’s Drive Beats Whitecaps in Nightcap
GRAND CHUTE, WI – The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers had a flair for the dramatic to conclude their doubleheader sweep of the West Michigan Whitecaps on Saturday afternoon at Neuroscience Group Field at Fox Cities Stadium. Wisconsin let a late lead get away, but Thomas Dillard hit a walkoff home run
GRAND CHUTE, WI – The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers had a flair for the dramatic to conclude their doubleheader sweep of the West Michigan Whitecaps on Saturday afternoon at Neuroscience Group Field at Fox Cities Stadium. Wisconsin let a late lead get away, but Thomas Dillard hit a walkoff home run in the bottom of the seventh to give Wisconsin an 8-7 win in the nightcap.
West Michigan (7-9) took the lead with two runs in the top of the third inning. José King hit a lead-off home run. Daniel Cabrera had an RBI single later in the inning.
Korry Howell put the Timber Rattlers (8-9) into the lead with a three-run home run off the scoreboard above the wall in left-center in the bottom of the third inning. The homer was Howell’s sixth of the season and the Rattlers were up 3-2.
A one-man wrecking crew!... Korry Howell connects on his 6th home run of the season in game 2 of the doubleheader.
— Wisconsin Timber Rattlers (@TimberRattlers) May 22, 2021
Exit Velocity: 104mph ⚡️
Distance: 420ft 💣 pic.twitter.com/7UihA9917y
Wisconsin added to their lead in the bottom of the fourth inning. Jesús Lujano singled in the first run of the inning. Later, Chad McClanahan drove in two runs with a single over the drawn-in infield and the Rattlers had a 6-2 advantage.
Nick Bennett, the Wisconsin starting pitcher, gutted his way through five innings. He scattered eight hits and struck out six while allowing just two runs.
The Whitecaps rallied against reliever Cristían Sierra in the top of the sixth. Two walks to the first three batters set the stage. Then, King doubled to right and two runs scored. Eduardo Valencia was next and he singled to knock in King and Wisconsin’s lead was back down to one run. Harold Chirino took over for Sierra and got the final two outs of the inning.
LG Castillo gave the Rattlers a little breathing room in the bottom of the sixth with an RBI single.
Chirino went back out for the seventh inning, but the lead evaporated two batters into the inning as Cabrera and Andre Lipcius hit back-to-back homers to tie the game at seven.
In the bottom of the seventh, Dillard ended a long day at the ballpark. The Rattlers slugger, who drove in the first run of the doubleheader with a sacrifice fly in game one cracked the first pitch of the last at bat of the game over the wall in center for a game-winning home run to sweep the doubleheader.
Thomas Dillard walks it off for the Rattlers' with a MOONSHOT to center!
— Wisconsin Timber Rattlers (@TimberRattlers) May 23, 2021
Today's doubleheader was wild! Both games with tremendous drama at the end #sweep #win #YouHaveToBeHere #TRatNation
Dillard earned the PLEXUS Hardest Worker of the Game 👏💪https://t.co/drhrAKD9ex pic.twitter.com/XJ4DbeqbHd
That was the first walkoff home run by a Timber Rattler since Eddie Silva hit a three-run blast to beat Quad Cities in the bottom of the ninth inning on August 22, 2018.
The final game of the six-game series is Sunday at Neuroscience Group Field at Fox Cities Stadium. The pitching matchup is a rematch of the starting pitchers from game one. Justin Jarvis (0-2, 5.40) is the scheduled starting pitcher for the Timber Rattlers. Garrett Hill (1-0, 1.50) is set to start for the Whitecaps. Game time is 1:05pm.
The first 1,000 fans to attend this game will receive a Corbin Burnes Shirsey courtesy of Century 21. Timber Rattlers players and coaches will wear their 2021 Brewers-themed jerseys for this game as part of a Brewers Sunday with 107.5, The Fan.
If you can’t make it out to the park for the game, catch the action on AM 1280 WNAM starting with the pregame show at 12:45pm. The game is also available on internet audio and through MiLB.tv.