Kernels Pop Past Rattlers 4-3

CEDAR RAPIDS, IA - The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers let one get away on Wednesday night in game one of their six-game road trip. The Cedar Rapids Kernels scored two unearned runs with two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning to erase a 3-2 Wisconsin lead. The Kernels held on for the 4-3 win at Perfect Game Field.

Wisconsin starting pitcher Logan Gillaspie retired the first five batters he faced. Then, he hit Tyler Webb on a 1-2 pitch and walked Trevor Casanova to extend the second inning. Alex Isola put the Kernels (57-44 overall, 18-13 second half) up with a double to the gap in left-center to score both runners.

In the bottom of the fifth inning, Isola lined the first pitch he saw off the top of the wall in left field. He was rounded first but decided to hold on for the single. He turned and slowly walked back to first base and was caught on a quick throw to first before he could get his foot on the bag. Gillaspie retired the next two batters without a problem.

The Rattlers (49-51, 18-13) rallied after that play. They loaded the bases with one out in the top of the sixth on singles by Jesús Lujano and David Fry and a walk to Thomas Dillard. Cedar Rapids starting pitcher Josh Winder got the second out on a popup, but left the game with an injury before throwing a pitch to Je'Von Ward.

Jose Martinez took over for Winder and uncorked a wild pitch that let Lujano score and moved Fry and Dillard into scoring position. Ward smacked the next pitch to right to score both runners and the Rattlers had a 3-2 lead.

Gillaspie worked a scoreless sixth and retired the first batter he faced in the seventh, but allowed a double to Casanova to end his night with Isola coming to the plate.

Chad Whitmer entered the game from the Wisconsin bullpen and retired Isola on a grounder to third. Ricky De La Torre was next and he sent a hard grounder to third that went through the legs of Gabriel García for an error to let Casanova to score the tying run.

Whitmer walked the next batter to keep the inning alive. The right-hander got ahead of Gilberto Celestino with two quick strikes, but he let an 0-2 pitch get too much of the plate and Celestino lined an opposite-field single to right to score De La Torre and the Kernels were up 4-3.

In the eighth, García reached on an error with one out against Ricky Ramirez. But, García was picked off first and had to leave the game with an injury as he tried to avoid being tagged in the rundown between first and second. Ward drew a walk on the next pitch, but was left stranded.

In the ninth, Yeison Coca singled and Chad McVey walked with one out to put the tying and lead runs on base, but Ramirez closed out the game with back-to-back strikeouts for his fourth save of the season.
Game two of the series at Perfect Game Field is Thursday night. Reese Olson (3-5, 4.87) is the scheduled starting pitcher for the Timber Rattlers. Luis Rijo (3-6, 2.67) is set to start for the Kernels. 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.