Rally Rattlers Stage Comeback to Beat Peoria 8-5

GRAND CHUTE, WI - The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers trailed the Peoria Chiefs 5-1 after the top of the third inning and Peoria was looking for a three-game sweep at Neuroscience Group Field at Fox Cities Stadium. The Rattlers had none of that as they rallied to an 8-5 victory to salvage the final game of the series.
Nolan Gorman gave the Chiefs (24-31) a 2-0 lead with a massive , two-run home run to right-center in the top of the first inning.

Peoria added a run in the top of the second on back-to-back doubles by Alexis Wilson and Jhon Torres.

The Rattlers (26-29) got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the second inning. Gabriel García, who reached base five times in the game, drew a lead-off walk and Je'Von Ward followed with a double to left. LG Castillo drove in García with a sharp single to left and that put runners at the corners with one out.

Wisconsin got frustrated when Castillo was picked off first by Peoria pitcher Diego Cordero on what they felt should have been a balk call. The play stood and the rally was stopped.

Rattlers starting pitcher Freisis Adames walked Gorman on four pitches with two outs in the top of the third inning. Then, Leandro Cedeno cracked a two-run home run to center and the Chiefs were up 5-1.

García started the Rattlers fourth inning with a double. Ward moved him to third with a grounder to the right side. Antonio Piñero drove in García with a grounder.

Cordero ran into trouble in the bottom of the fifth inning. Korry Howell walked to start the inning. Brice Turang and Connor McVey followed with singles to load the bases. David Fry knocked Howell with in the first run of the frame with a single. Yeison Coca grounded into a force play at second to score Turang. García tied the game with a bloop single to right-center to get McVey home and drove Cordero from the game.

Ward drew a walk against reliever Freddy Pacheco to re-load the bases. Then, Piñero put the Rattlers in front for the first time in the series with a high chopper over the mound. The only play was to get Piñero at first and Coca scored the go-ahead run.

The Rattlers just kept adding insurance runs. Ward drew a bases-loaded walk in the sixth and Turang, who went 4-for-5 in the game, collected his fourth hit of the game on an RBI single in the seventh.

The Wisconsin defense which had struggled for the last two weeks was stellar on Sunday. They played error-free baseball for the first time in 14 games and turned five double plays in the game.

Reese Olson worked 3-1/3 scoreless innings out of the bullpen and picked up the win. Victor Castaneda tossed 1-2/3 scoreless frames to maintain the lead. Anthony Bender pitched a scoreless ninth for his second save.
The Timber Rattlers are off on Monday. They return to action on Tuesday at Northwestern Medicine Field in Geneva, Illinois for the first game of a three-game series with the playoff-contending Kane County Cougars. Adam Hill (5-3, 4.20) is the schedules starting pitcher for Wisconsin. The Cougars will counter with Ryan Weiss (2-4, 4.37). Game time is 6:30pm. The radio broadcast is on AM1280, WNAM and the TuneIn Radio app starting with the Papa John's Pizza Pregame Show at 6:10pm. MiLB.tv subscribers can watch the game over the internet.