Rattlers Ride Early Lead to 5-2 Win Over Bees

GRAND CHUTE, WI - The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers jumped to an early lead with two runs in the bottom of the first inning and added two more runs in the third inning on their way to a 5-2 win over the Burlington Bees at Neuroscience Group Field at Fox Cities Stadium.

Wisconsin (63-64 overall, 32-26 second half) took advantage of an error to score two unearned runs in the bottom of the first inning. Connor McVey reached on an error. David Fry singled with two outs to put runners on the corners.   Je'Von Ward put the Rattlers in front with an RBI single to right that scored McVey and sent Fry around to third base. 

The Timber Rattlers scored their second run on a scary play later in the first. Ward ran on a pitch in the dirt and got caught in a rundown to allow Fry to break for the plate. Fry collided with plate umpire Jae-Young Kim as Fry ran through the plate attempting to score the run before Ward was tagged out. Kim stayed down for a few moments before getting up to signal that the run scored and continuing the game.

Burlington (63-65, 24-34) cut into the Wisconsin lead with a run in the top of the second inning. Keinner Piña drove in a run from third base with a sacrifice fly.

Fry and Ward combined to add to the Wisconsin lead in the bottom of the third. Jesús Lujano started the inning with a walk and McVey followed with a single. Fry drove in Lujano and sent McVey to third with a single to right. Ward followed with a single to get McVey home and the Rattlers were up 4-1.

Wednesday night was the second straight multi-hit and multi-RBI game for Ward.

Pina knocked in his second run of the night for the Bees with a two-out RBI single in the top of the fourth.

Another error by the Bees, their third of the night, allowed Yeison Coca to score from third base and the Rattlers had a 5-2 lead in the fourth inning.
Contreras settled in for his final two innings of work and retired the side in order in the fifth and sixth. He finished the night with ten strikeouts over six innings. Contreras became the third Wisconsin pitcher in the last five games to record ten strikeouts in a game. Freisis Adames had ten strikeouts at Peoria on August 17. Max Lazar also had ten strikeouts on August 20 in Peoria.

The Wisconsin bullpen held the line for the final three innings. Tyler Gillies pitched around a two-out walk in a scoreless seventh inning. Jake Cousins worked a 1-2-3 eighth and pitched around a two-out double in the ninth for his first Midwest League save.

In the second-half, Western Division playoff race, the Timber Rattlers didn't receive any help. The division-leading Kane County Cougars rallied from a 7-1 deficit to beat the Beloit Snappers 9-8 on the road. The Wild-Card leading Clinton LumberKings cruised to a 9-0 win over the Cedar Rapids Kernels at home. Wisconsin stays three games behind the LumberKings for the Wild Card and five games behind Kane County in the division race. There are twelve games left in the regular season.
Game two of the series is Thursday night at Neuroscience Group Field. Reese Olson (4-7, 4.66) is the scheduled starting pitcher for the Timber Rattlers. Jose Soriano (5-6, 2.55) is set to start for the Bees. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05pm.
The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers invite you to Strike Out Cancer Night and Wisconsin Night on Thursday. Former Badgers running back Montee Ball will sign free autographs for fans from 5:30pm to 6:30pm by Brews on Third at the end of the third base concourse.

The first 1,000 fans to attend this game will receive a Timber Rattlers t-shirt based on the University of Wisconsin and Timber Rattlers players and coaches will get in on the action, too. They will wear jerseys based UW-Madison during the game. There will be an online auction and you may bid on your favorite player's jersey by following this link. The auction ends at 9:00pm CDT on Thursday night. 

Everyone attending this game may enjoy Cher-Make brats for $2. Those of legal drinking age may have a variety of craft brews for $2. It is part of Craft Brews & Brats Night presented by Fox River Brewing Company and 105.7 WAPL.

If you can't make it out to the ballpark, the radio broadcast is on AM1280, WNAM and the TuneIn Radio app starting with the Papa John's Pizza Pregame Show at 6:45pm. MiLB.tv subscribers can watch the game over the internet.