Rattlers Clinch Division Title with 8-5 Win over West Michigan

COMSTOCK PARK, MI – The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers will play in the postseason for the first time since 2016. The Timber Rattlers have a date in the playoffs after an 8-5 win over the West Michigan Whitecaps Sunday afternoon at LMCU Ballpark clinched a First Half Western Division title. Jheremy Vargas had a three-run homer and Matt Wood went 4-for-5 with three RBI to lead the Rattlers offense to the win.

Click here for the boxscore

Click here for the scoring plays

Wood started the Wisconsin (40-23) rally in the second inning with a single. Jesús Chirinos followed with a double on a 3-0 pitch to drive in Wood for a 1-0 lead. Eduarqui Fernández singled to center to put runners at the corners. Vargas cleared the bases when his drive to left cleared the wall for his fourth home run of the season and a 4-0 lead.

The Timber Rattlers poured on the offense later in the inning with a two-out rally. Luis Lara singled and stole second. Luke Adams drove in Lara with a single. Wood collected his second hit of the inning with a single that sent Adams across the plate for a 6-0 lead.

Wood added to the lead again with a two-out, two-run single in the fourth inning for an 8-0 advantage.

Alexander Cornielle, the Timber Rattlers starting pitcher, went four scoreless innings, allowed two hits, and struck out three. He had been activated from the injured list before the game and was making his first start since June 2. He left after 40 pitches with that 8-0 lead.

West Michigan (31-32) stormed back in the bottom of the fifth. Reliever Brian Fitzpatrick got the first out before allowing a single and a two-run home run to Danny Serretti. Fitzpatrick got the second out before walking the next two batters. Dom Johnson drove in the third run of the inning with a double to left. That was the end of the line for Fitzpatrick.

Aaron Rund was called into the game from the Wisconsin bullpen to get the final out and he appeared to get it when Roberto Campos hit a grounder to Adams at first base. Rund was over to cover and take the throw in plenty of time, but he dropped the ball for an error and two runs scored to cut the Rattlers lead to three runs.

Rund settled in after that miscue. He pitched around a one-out double in the sixth and worked a perfect seventh. In the eighth, he issued walk a walk with one out and another with two outs to bring Serretti to the plate as the tying run. Rund got the final out on a flyout to left to maintain the three-run advantage.

Bayden Root was called from the Wisconsin bullpen to close out the game for the bottom of the ninth. He retired the first two batters. Seth Stephenson dropped a bunt for a single and wound up on third base after a wild throw. That meant Johnson would get a shot in the bottom of the ninth. The shot fell short as Johnson sent a routine fly ball to Fernández, who squeezed it for the final out as players poured from the third base dugout to mob Root and celebrate.

The Timber Rattlers will head to the postseason for the first time since 2016! pic.twitter.com/cFXYzozSZ1

— Minor League Baseball (@MiLB) June 16, 2024

The Timber Rattlers have won their first division title since 2012, when they won the first half division title and would go on to win the Midwest League Championship season. Wisconsin qualified for the playoffs in 2014 and in 2016 as a second half Wild Card.

Playoff tickets are available at this link. Playoff t-shirts are available at this link.

The Timber Rattlers are off on Monday. They return to action on Tuesday at Parkview Field with the first game of a series with the Fort Wayne TinCaps. Mark Manfredi (3-1, 3.43) is the scheduled starting pitcher for the Timber Rattlers. Game time is 6:05pm CDT. The radio broadcast is on AM1280, WNAM starting with the Community Blood Center Pregame Show at 5:45pm. The game is also available on the internet and the Bally Live App.