Rattlers Win 2-1 to Start Road Trip

DAVENPORT, IA - The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers began their 11-game road trip with a 2-1 victory over the Quad Cities River Bandits on Monday night at Modern Woodmen Park. The Rattlers did just enough to pick up the win in another close game.
The River Bandits (23-20) nearly took the lead in the bottom of the third inning. Roman Garcia doubled to start the frame. Jake Meyers singled to center and Garcia tried to score. Centerfielder Joantgel Segovia fielded the ball cleanly and came up firing to the plate to catch Garcia for the out and keep the game scoreless.

Demi Orimoloye and Pat McInerney gave the Rattlers (21-23) the lead in the top of the fourth. Orimoloye lined a lead-off homer to right-center for the first run of the game. McInerney cracked a two-out solo shot to center and the Rattlers were up 2-0. Orimoloye's homer was his fourth of the season. McInerney's homer was his eighth of the season.

Wisconsin starter Nelson Hernández retired the first two batters he faced in the bottom of the fifth, but he walked Jonathan Lacroix, the number nine hitter for the River Bandits, on a 3-2 pitch. Jake Meyers made Hernández pay for the walk by lining the next pitch for a double to left-center. Lacroix scored easily and the Wisconsin lead was cut to one run.

Hernández would get the final out of the fifth, retire the River Bandits in order in the sixth, and get the first out of the seventh, but he was removed from the game after walking Colton Shaver.

Michael Petersen took over for Hernández and got out of the seventh by getting the next batter to ground into a 5-4-3 double play. Petersen would work around a two-out double in the bottom of the eighth inning to maintain the 2-1 lead.

Rodrigo Benoit was called from the Wisconsin bullpen to pitch the bottom of the ninth inning, but there was a slight scare before the inning began. Benoit slipped on the mound while delivering a warm-up pitch and appeared to injure his left leg. He received a few extra warm-up tosses and was deemed ready to go. Ready to go would be putting it mildly.

Benoit struck out the side in order, including a called third strike to end the game, earn his fourth save, and give the Rattlers their third straight win.

Hernández picked up his sixth win of the season. He has won five straight decisions and has allowed a total of three runs over 20-1/3 innings in his last three starts.

The last five Timber Rattlers games have been decided by one run.
The series continues on Tuesday morning at Modern Woodmen Park. Dylan File (5-2, 3.60) is the scheduled starting pitcher for the Timber Rattlers. Quad Cities will counter with Leovanny Rodriguez (1-0, 2.25). Game time is 11:00am.
The radio broadcast is on AM1280, WNAM starting with the Potawatomi Hotel & Casino Pregame Show at 10:40am. The broadcast is also available on the Tune In and IHeart Radio apps. Subscribers to MiLB.tv can watch the game over the internet.