Wisconsin tops TinCaps
GRAND CHUTE, WI - The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers picked up their third consecutive victory with a 6-3 win over the Fort Wayne TinCaps on Thursday night at Time Warner Cable Field at Fox Cities Stadium. Victor Roache had three hits, scored a run, and drove in a run to pace the Rattlers 14-hit onslaught.
Wisconsin (38-47 overall, 9-11 second half) started the scoring with a pair of runs in the bottom of the first. Michael Reed and Tyrone Taylor each singled with one out against TinCaps starter Max Fried. Then, Fried attempted a pickoff of Reed at second base and threw the ball into centerfield. Reed went to third. The next pitch was in the dirt and Taylor took off for second base. Catcher Rodney Daal also threw the ball into center. That let Reed score and Taylor take third. Roache was patiently waiting for a pitch to hit and he smacked a single on a full count off the glove of the third baseman for an RBI and a 2-0 lead.
Fort Wayne (49-40, 6-14) answered with a run in the second and two more in the third against Rattlers starting pitcher Leonard Lorenzo to take a 3-2 lead. Luis Domoromo drove in Dane Phillips with a sacrifice fly in the second inning. In the third, Tyler Stubblefield started the inning with a double. A throw to second to try to catch Stubblefield rounding the base too far backfired. The throw was wild and by the time it was retrieved, Stubblefield was scoring the tying run. Mallex Smith singled on the next pitch, was balked to second, and went to third on a wild pitch. Phillips drove him in with a sacrifice fly to give Fort Wayne the lead.
The Rattlers went back in front with three runs in the bottom of the fourth inning. Parker Berberet singled to start the inning. Orlando Arcia reached on a bunt single. An error on the play let Berberet take third and Arcia to move to second. Tyler Roberts followed with a single down the line in right to knock in both runners. Roberts was out at second as he tried to stretch the hit into a double, but the Rattlers had a 4-3 lead.
Alfredo Rodriguez made it 5-3 with a line drive home run over the wall in left later in the fourth inning. The homer was the second of the season for Rodriguez.
Lorenzo worked a scoreless fifth inning to protect that lead. Lorenzo allowed three runs on five hits and struck out a pair to put himself in line for his first win since April 27.
The Rattlers added an insurance run in the bottom of the fifth. Roache battled Fort Wayne reliever Colin Rea in a 14-pitch at bat to start the inning. The Rattlers slugger banged a triple off the wall in left-center on the final pitch of the at bat. Mike Garza was next and he singled through the drawn-in infield to send Roache home for a 6-3 Rattlers lead.
Harvey Martin took over for Lorenzo and worked three scoreless innings to maintain the lead.
Jono Armold came on in the ninth. He gave up a leadoff single and hit the next batter to bring the tying run to the plate. But, Armold retired the next three hitters to finish off the TinCaps and earn his third save of the season.
Game three of the series is Friday night at Time Warner Cable Field at Fox Cities Stadium. Wisconsin has Eric Semmelhack (1-4, 4.68) as their scheduled starting pitcher. Fort Wayne will send Matthew Shepherd (4-1, 2.83) to the mound. Game time is 7:05pm.
Paramedics, firemen, police officers, and their families will receive $1 off reserved bleachers and box seating for Emergency Services Night. Plus, the first 1,000 fans to attend this game will receive a baseball courtesy of Baycom. The baseball will feature Clint Coulter, Victor Roache, and Mitch Haniger, the top three picks by the Milwaukee Brewers in the 2012 draft.
Kids 12 and under receive a free hot dog and soda as part of North Shore Bank Family Night. Children 14 and under may participate in Kids Run the Bases thanks to Molina Healthcare after the postgame fireworks display.
If you can't make it out to the ballpark on Friday, there are a myriad of ways to catch the action. My NEW32's Sports Showdown will have the television broadcast starting with their pregame show at 6:30pm. The radio broadcast can be heard on AM1280, WNAM or IHeartRadio starting with the Miller Lite Pregame Show at 6:45pm. Friday's game is also available to subscribers of MiLB.TV.
HOME RUN:
WIS:
Alfredo Rodriguez (2nd, 0 on in 4th inning off Max Fried, 2 out)
WP: Leonard Lorenzo (2-4)
LP: Max Fried (3-4)
SAVE: Jono Armold (3)
TIME: 3:04
ATTN: 3,182