Wisconsin held to three hits in 3-1 loss to Cedar Rapids

GRAND CHUTE, WI - The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers saw their six-game winning streak come to an end on Monday afternoon. The Cedar Rapids Kernels beat the Rattlers 3-1 as three Kernels pitchers held the Rattlers to three hits in the game at Neuroscience Group Field at Fox Cities Stadium.
The Kernels (29-34) took the lead with single runs in the third and fourth innings. Akil Baddoo drove in the first run of the game with an RBI grounder in the third. Andrew Bechtold hit a sacrifice fly in the fourth to put the Kernels up 2-0.

Wisconsin (31-33) struggled to get anything going against Cedar Rapids starting pitcher Jordan Balazovic. The right-hander was making his first Midwest League start and gave up two hits in the first inning, but only allowed one more hit while striking out eleven over seven innings.

Cedar Rapids added to their lead in the top of the seventh. Trey Cabbage, who had singled and doubled earlier in the game, homered with two outs in the top of the seventh inning against Rattlers starter Nelson Hernández.

The Rattlers finally got to Balazovic in the bottom of the seventh when Payton Henry hit a lead-off homer. The blast was his fifth of the season. Henry had two of Wisconsin's three hits in the game.

Any momentum the Rattlers had after the homer by Henry was lost when Demi Orimoloye bunted on the next pitch and was called out when the ball was ruled to have hit him in fair territory as ran to first. Wisconsin manager Matt Erickson came down from his coaching position at third base to argue the call and was eventually ejected from the game by plate umpire Chris Presley.

Hernández allowed three runs on five hits over 6-2/3 innings for his eighth quality start of the season, but was charged with his first loss since April 18.

The loss denied the Rattlers a .500 record for the first time since they were 2-2.
The Timber Rattlers begin a six-game road trip to end the first half of the season on Tuesday night in Burlington, Iowa. Game time against the Burlington Bees at Community Field is 6:30pm. The radio broadcast is on AM1280, WNAM starting with the Potawatomi Hotel & Casino Pregame Show at 6:10pm. The broadcast is also available on the Tune In and IHeart Radio apps.