Rattlers Batter Peoria 9-2

PEORIA, IL - The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers offense broke out of their recent struggles with a 9-2 win over the Peoria Chiefs at Dozer Park on Saturday night in the first game of a four-game series. The offensive support allowed starting pitcher Freisis Adames to relax and the right-hander struck out ten over 6-2/3 scoreless innings for his third win of the season.

The Timber Rattlers offense poured on the hits and runs early against a struggling Peoria team. Wisconsin (60-63 overall, 29-25 second half) scored four runs in the second and four more runs in the third to take an 8-0 lead. The Rattlers scored six runs in total in their just-completed three-game series at home against the Cedar Rapids Kernels.

The onslaught began in the second inning with a one-out walk to Chad McClanahan. Antonio Piñero followed with a single. Peoria starting pitcher Logan Gragg got the second out with a strikeout, but things deteriorated from there for him.

Jesús Lujano's fly ball to left was dropped for an error and McClanahan scored for a 1-0 lead. Connor McVey, who had been activated off Wisconsin's Injured List earlier in the day, followed with a two-run double to center. Thomas Dillard followed with a single to score McVey and Wisconsin had a 4-0 lead.

The Rattlers didn't stop there.

Je'Von Ward started the third inning with a walk. Pablo Abreu drove a double off the wall in left and Wad beat the throw home for a 5-0 lead. Gragg walked McClanahan and was pulled from the game. Piñero greeted reliever Wilfredo Pereira with a double to score two runs. Lujano knocked in the final run of the inning with a single and Wisconsin was up 8-0.

McVey and Dillard teamed up in the sixth to add a ninth run of the game for the Rattlers. McVey singled and moved to second on a balk. Dillard followed with a line single to right-center and McVey trotted home for the 9-0 lead.

Meanwhile, Peoria (46-77, 16-38) had all sorts of trouble with Adames, who was making his first start since allowing seven runs on nine hits in 3-2/3 innings against Clinton at home on July 30. He walked one and allowed three hits in the game. Adames left the game after getting the second out in the bottom of the seventh with his tenth strikeout of the game.

Wilfred Salaman got the final out in the bottom of the seventh and worked a scoreless eighth in relief of Adames.

Victor Castaneda took over for Salaman in the bottom of the ninth and gave up two runs on four hits, but closed out the win for the Rattlers.
In the second half Western Division playoff race, the Clinton LumberKings beat the Kane County Cougars 4-2 at Kane County. That result moved Clinton to within three games of the division-leading Cougars. Wisconsin remained three games behind the Wild Card-leading LumberKings. The Rattlers moved to within six games of the Cougars. There are sixteen games left in the regular season.
Game two of the series is Sunday evening. Nick Bennett (1-0, 1.59) is the scheduled starting pitcher for the Timber Rattlers. Peoria has named Parker Kelly (3-3, 3.27) as their starting pitcher. Game time at Dozer Park is 5:05pm. The radio broadcast is on AM1280, WNAM and the TuneIn Radio app starting with the Papa John's Pizza Pregame Show at 4:45pm. MiLB.tv subscribers can watch the game over the internet.