Rattlers Cruise to 7-2 Win in Burlington

BURLINGTON, IA - The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers knocked Burlington Bees starter Robinson Pina out of the game with a three runs first inning and kept piling on the runs for a 7-2 win at Community Field on Friday night. The victory allowed Wisconsin to claim the rubber game of the three-game series.

Jesús Lujano started the game for the Rattlers (57-59 overall, 26-21 second half) by striking out, but he reached when strike three went to the backstop. Thomas Dillard cracked a two-run home run to right-center later in the inning and Wisconsin was up 2-0. Je'Von Ward and Brent Díaz kept the inning going when they reached on back-to-back, two-out errors to put runners on first and third.

Díaz stole second to draw the throw. Ward broke for the plate and beat the return throw home and the Rattlers were up 3-0. Pina left the game after issuing a walk to Chad McClanahan, the seventh Wisconsin batter of the inning.

Ethan Small, the #1 pick of the Milwaukee Brewers in the 2019 draft, made the start for the Rattlers. He was only scheduled to go three innings and he pitched three perfect innings with three strikeouts.

Wisconsin missed on a chance to extend their lead in the top of the fourth inning. Dillard singled and David Fry doubled to start the frame, but both were left stranded.
The Bees (55-62, 16-31) got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the fourth inning. Kevin Maitan hit a lead-off homer to left against Wisconsin reliever Wilfred Salaman to cut the Rattlers lead to two runs. Salaman didn't let the Bees score again as he worked through the fifth.

Wisconsin's offense added to their advantage with three more runs in the top of the fifth inning. Korry Howell and Dillard started the inning with hits. David Fry followed with an RBI single. Ward knocked in a run with a grounder and Díaz drove in the final run of the inning with a single.
Dillard collected his fourth hit of the game in the sixth inning and it was an RBI single to push the Rattlers lead to 7-1. Dillard is on a 24-game on-base streak, the longest by a Timber Rattler this season.

Freisis Adames took over for Salaman in the top of the sixth inning and worked the final four innings. He would allow a run on a wild pitch in the bottom of the ninth, but struck out four and picked up his second save of the season.
The Timber Rattlers return home to face the Quad Cities River Bandits in the first game of a three-game series at Neuroscience Group Field at Fox Cities Stadium on Saturday night. Reese Olson (4-6, 4.85) is the scheduled starting pitcher for Wisconsin. Quad Cities has named Abdiel Saldana (1-1, 0.63) as their starter. First pitch is 6:35pm.
Saturday night is the birthday of mascot Fang T. Rattler. He may be getting older, but his birthday celebrations never do! You are invited to join Fang and his friends for Fang's Birthday Party presented by U.S. Cellular. The party includes the annual mascot kickball game featuring mascots from area businesses that will take place on the field from 5:30 to 6:00pm. 

Bring non-perishable food items for St. Joseph Food Pantry and receive a slice of Fang's birthday cake as part of the Cans for Cake Food Drive. 

Tundraland presents postgame fireworks and children twelve and under may run the bases courtesy of Meijer after the fireworks display as part of a North Shore Bank Family Night with WIXX.

If you can't make it out to the ballpark, there are several ways to follow the action. Saturday's game will be televised on CW-14 in Northeastern Wisconsin and on My-24 in Southeastern Wisconsin starting at 6:30pm. The radio broadcast is on AM1280, WNAM and the TuneIn Radio app starting with the Papa John's Pizza Pregame Show at 6:15pm. MiLB.tv subscribers can watch the game over the internet.