Rattlers Survive Late Kernels Rally
CEDAR RAPIDS, IA – The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers were cruising with a 4-0 lead heading into the bottom of the ninth inning against the Cedar Rapids Kernels at Rise 2 Greatness Field on Saturday night. The cruise turned into a sudden trip through whitewater as the Kernels were inches away
CEDAR RAPIDS, IA – The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers were cruising with a 4-0 lead heading into the bottom of the ninth inning against the Cedar Rapids Kernels at Rise 2 Greatness Field on Saturday night. The cruise turned into a sudden trip through whitewater as the Kernels were inches away from a game-tying, three-run homer before the rally fell short and the Rattlers won 4-3.
Click here for the scoring plays
The Timber Rattlers (57-31 overall, 15-7 second half) jumped to the early lead with three runs in the top of the first inning. Luis Lara started the game with a single and a stolen base. A wild pitch moved Lara to third with one out. Luke Adams drove Lara home with a sacrifice fly for the 1-0 advantage.
Unlike Friday night when the Rattlers could not add to a 1-0 lead in a 2-1 loss, Wisconsin tacked on two more runs on Saturday. Matt Wood and Eduardo Garcia both singled with two outs. Ramόn Rodríguez drove in both runners with a double for the 3-0 cushion.
Tate Kuehner dealt with a few bumps in the road over his five scoreless innings. He walked a pair of Kernels in the second inning but closed out the inning with a pair of strikeouts. In the fourth, Cedar Rapids again had two on with one out before Kuehner escaped on a pair of flyouts to center. He would strike out five with two walks.
Reliever Mark Manfredi did his job with 2-1/3 scoreless innings. He allowed one hit and struck out five. Aaron Rund got the final two outs of the eighth inning to send the game to the ninth.
Wood set up an insurance run for the Timber Rattlers in the ninth with his third hit of the game. The Wisconsin designated hitter doubled, his second double of the game, and left the game in favor of pinch-runner Felix Valerio. A flyout to center was deep enough to get Valerio to third, but he was still there with two outs.
Tayden Hall got the big hit for a 4-0 lead when he pulled a 2-2 pitch through the right side of the infield to score Valerio.
Cedar Rapids (51-36, 14-9), a team that has made the Midwest League postseason every season since 2013, wasn’t going anywhere though.
Rund got the first out of the ninth before the game took a turn in front of the 4,710 fans in attendance. Rubel Cespedes singled and Kevin Maitan doubled. The throw into second got away from Eduardo Garcia to allow Cespedes to score and spoil Wisconsin’s shot at its tenth shutout of the season. That would be the least of Wisconsin’s worries in a few moments.
Jay Harry was hit by a pitch to bring the tying run to the plate. Rund struck out Nate Baez for the second out. Then, Misael Urbina lined a 1-0 pitch off the very top of the wall in left field with left fielder Jheremy Vargas crashing into the wall going after the ball. The crowd and Urbina thought the game was tied. However, the ball stayed in play. Vargas struggled to his feet and got the ball in to keep Urbina at second base before falling back to the ground. Vargas would need assistance to get off the field.
Play resumed after the delay and Rund wasted no time in getting the final out with no more drama. He struck out Kyle Hess on three pitches to close out the contest and even the series at one win for each team.
The rubber game – and the series finale – is Sunday afternoon at Rise 2 Greatness Field. The Timber Rattlers have Will Rudy (3-6, 4.98) as their scheduled starting pitcher. The Kernels are going with Jordan Carr (2-3, 5.43) as their starter. Game time is 1:05pm. The radio broadcast is on AM1280, WNAM starting with the Community Blood Center Pregame Show at 12:45pm. The game is also available on the internet and the Bally Live App.