Ninth inning homer sinks Rattlers
GRAND CHUTE, WI - The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers and Quad Cities River Bandits completed their suspended game from Sunday on Monday afternoon. The Rattlers fought back to tie the game with two runs in the bottom of the eighth. But, Brett Booth homered to break the tie in the top of the ninth. Quad Cities added two more runs and sent the Rattlers to a 7-4 defeat at Neuroscience Group Field at Fox Cities Stadium.
On Sunday, the teams traded first inning solo home runs. Chan-Jong Moon hit his first homer of the season in the top half to give Quad Cities (30-26) the lead. Michael Ratterree hit his tenth home run of the season in the bottom of the first to tie the game.
Booth doubled to drive in a run in the top of the second. Wisconsin (25-31) tied the game in the bottom of the third on Clint Coulter's bloop single to right with two outs that allowed Ratterree to score all the way from first base.
Tyler White homered in the top of the fourth and the River Bandits were up 3-2.
The first rain delay on Sunday came with one out in the bottom of the fourth inning. It lasted 24 minutes before the game restarted.
The second rain delay happened in the bottom of the fifth inning with two outs, a runner at second base, and Jose Pena at the plate with a 1-2 count. Rain halted play at that point.
Milwaukee Brewers third baseman Aramis Ramirez went 0-for-2 with a strikeout at the plate on Sunday. He did not take the field after the first rain delay. Ramirez is scheduled to be Wisconsin's designated hitter in Tuesday's regularly scheduled game.
Pena flew out to center on the first pitch of the restart.
The River Bandits added to their lead in the top of the sixth inning against reliever Tristan Archer. Brett Phillips doubled with one out and scored on a single by White for a 4-2 lead.
The Rattlers rallied in the bottom of the eighth inning. Coulter was hit by a pitch to start the inning and Taylor Brennan doubled with one out. Francisco Castillo's hard grounder to the right side of the infield deflected off the glove of Jon Kemmer, the first baseman who made a diving attempt on the ball. The change of direction allowed the ball to get past Moon at second and make it into the outfield. Coulter scored easily and Brennan scored from second on a head first dive to tie the game.
Quad Cities had an answer in the top of the ninth. Booth led off the inning with a solo home run, his first homer of the season, to give the River Bandits a 5-4 lead. Ronnie Mitchell reached on a single with one out. A two out single to center by Tanner Mathis resulted in Mitchell scoring due to a pair of errors on the play. Mathis wound up at third on the play. He scored on a single by Chase McDonald and the Bandits were up 7-4.
The Rattlers got a leadoff single by Angle Ortega in the bottom of the ninth inning, but he was left stranded as Andrew Walter struck out the next three batters to close out the game.
Wisconsin is at six games under the .500 mark for the first time this season.
The series concludes with a game on Monday afternoon. Preston Gainey (1-3, 3.20) is the scheduled starting pitcher for the Timber Rattlers. The River Bandits have Andrew Thurman (2-3, 5.83) as their scheduled starter. Game time is 12:05pm.
Milwaukee Brewers third baseman Aramis Ramirez is scheduled to make his second appearance with the Timber Rattlers as part of his major league rehabilitation assignment on Monday.
Monday is a Qdoba Q*Monday. Purchase a lunch entrée at either Qdoba location in Appleton (3813 E. Calumet Street or 4343 W. Wisconsin Avenue) and receive a ticket to this game or any other Monday home game during the 2014 regular season.
Monday is also a day for a Baker Tilly Business Person Special. Show your business card when you purchase a ticket and for $13.50 you will receive a box seat ticket, a beverage, and your choice of brat or hot dog. The offer is also available to senior citizens (55 & older) courtesy of WVBO and AM1280 WNAM
If you can't make it out to the stadium, tune in for the broadcast on AM1280, WNAM or IHeartRadio.com starting with the Miller Lite Pregame Show at 11:45am. Monday's game is also available to subscribers of MiLB.TV.
HOME RUNS:
QC:
Chan-Jong Moon (1st, 0 on in 1st inning off Victor Diaz, 1 out)
Tyler White (3rd, 0 on in 4th inning off Victor Diaz, 1 out)
Brett Booth (1st, 0 on in 9th inning off Harvey Martin, 0 out)
WIS:
Michael Ratterree (10th, 0 on in 1st inning off Kevin Comer, 2 out)
WP: Adrian Houser (4-1)
LP: Harvey Martin (2-3)
SAVE: Andrew Walter (5)
TIME: 2:44 (:24 delay)
ATTN: 5,736