Wisconsin Pulls Away Late for Big Win in Cedar Rapids

CEDAR RAPIDS, IA – The final score of 12-5 with the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers beating the Cedar Rapids Kernels Saturday night at Perfect Game Field was deceptive. The Rattlers never trailed and did win to end their four-game losing streak but there were a few key plays where the game could have turned the other way.

Click here for the boxscore of this game.

Wisconsin (44-50) took the lead in the top of the first inning. Felix Valerio blooped a double down the line in right in with one out. Joey Wiemer was next and his hard grounder down the third base line got trapped under the tarp against the wall in foul territory from a ground-rule double and an RBI to score Valerio.

Cedar Rapids (53-42) responded with a run of their own in the bottom of the first. Edouard Julien started the inning with a double. A grounder moved Julien to third. Matt Wallner drove in Julien with a grounder to second to tie the game.

The Timber Rattlers took advantage of some sloppy defense by the Kernels in the top of the fourth inning to take the lead. Zavier Warren started the inning with a single and stole second. LG Castillo was at the plate with one out and the Kernels infield had shifted with second baseman Yunior Severino stationed just inside the outfield grass behind the second base bag. Castillo hit the ball right at Severino and the Kernels infielder elected to try to get Warren, who was advancing to third base.

Severino’s throw to third was wild and hit off the side wall. Warren headed for the plate and third baseman Seth Gray retrieved the ball thinking that he had a play on Warren at home. Gray’s throw hit Warren and caromed away to allow Castillo to take third base while Warren crossed the plate. Kekai Rios drove in Castillo moments later with a sacrifice fly to left.

Wallner brought the Kernels back to within a run in the bottom of the fourth inning on a home run to right. Wisconsin pitchers have now allowed at least one home run to their opponents in thirteen straight games.

Je’Von Ward added to the Timber Rattlers lead with a two-out, RBI double in the top of the fifth inning for a 4-2 advantage.

The lead was precarious in the fifth inning as reliever Brady Schanuel gave up a one-out double and walked the next two batters on eight pitches to load the bases for Wallner. Schanuel bounced back to strike out both Wallner and Wander Javier to leave the bases loaded and maintain the two-run cushion,

That became a one-run cushion in the bottom of the sixth when Michael Helman hit a two-out, solo home run off Nash Walters. The homer was Helman’s fourth of the series and Wisconsin was up 4-3.

In the top of the seventh, the Cedar Rapids defense was feeling generous again. Wisconsin put two runners on base as Carlos Rodríguez and Joey Wiemer singled. Ward was next and he hit a grounder to Severino for a potential inning-ending double play. However, Severino’s throw to second to force Wiemer went into left field to let Rodríguez score and Wiemer take third. Ward kept running, too, and the throw to second was wild to let Wiemer score for a 6-3 lead.

The Timber Rattlers almost returned the favor in the bottom of the seventh inning. There was a runner at first with two outs when Javier hit a grounder to third. Chad McClanahan charged and made a clean pick, but his throw to first was wild and the Kernels had runners at the corners with two outs. Alex Isola, who had hit a walk-off home run in the bottom of the tenth inning on Tuesday night against Wisconsin, stepped to the plate and set the first pitch he saw from Nash Walters deep down the line in left. Fortunately for Wisconsin the ball curved just foul before it left the ballpark and the result was long, loud strike. Walters regrouped and struck out Isola on the next two pitches to end the inning.

Valerio gave the Rattlers some insurance in the top of the ninth. Rodríguez started the inning with another single. Then, Valerio lined a two-run home run to left. Kernels reliever Andrew Cabezas struck out the next two batters. Then, the Wisconsin offense wanted more.

Warren and McClanahan singled before a walk to Castillo loaded the bases. Rios dropped a single into center to score two runs and give him three-RBI in the game. Antonio Piñero singled to score Castillo and chase Cabezas from the game.

Kyle Smith went from left field to the mound and gave up an RBI single to Rodríguez before getting the final out of the inning.

Wisconsin scored six runs on seven hits in the top of the ninth to take a 12-3 lead.

The Kernels did not go quietly in their half of the ninth against Cam Robinson, who had pitched a drama-free eighth inning. Anthony Prato and Isola had back-to-back RBI singles with one out. Robinson retired the final two batters on popups and that closed out the game and the win for Wisconsin.

Rodríguez, Rios, and Valerio each had three hits in the game for Wisconsin as the team missed its season-high for hits in a game by one. They had seventeen on Saturday night. The season high of eighteen was set at Beloit on July 4.

The final game of the series is Sunday afternoon at Perfect Game Field. TJ Shook is the scheduled starting pitcher for Wisconsin and will be making his Timber Rattlers debut. The Kernels have not named a starting pitcher for Sunday’s game. First pitch is scheduled to be at 2:05pm with the radio broadcast starting at 1:45pm on AM1280 and internet audio. The game is also available on MiLB.tv.