Late LumberKings rally tops Timber Rattlers
GRAND CHUTE, WI - The Clinton LumberKings scored three runs with two outs in the top of the eighth inning to erase a 2-1 Wisconsin Timber Rattlers lead on Tuesday night at Neuroscience Group Field at Fox Cities Stadium. Clinton would hold on to defeat the Wisconsin 4-2 in game one a three-game series.
Dustin DeMuth gave the Timber Rattlers (64-55 overall, 28-22 second half) a 1-0 lead with a leadoff homer in the bottom of the second inning. The home run was the first in the Midwest League for DeMuth, the 5th round pick of the Milwaukee Brewers from the 2014 draft.
The LumberKings (52-66, 22-28) tied the game in the top of the fourth inning. Tyler O'Neill reached on a single and a balk by Clint Terry moved O'Neill to second base. Joe DeCarlo followed with a single to left to drive in O'Neill and the game was even 1-1.
That fourth inning run was the only one allowed by Terry in the game. He pitched six innings and matched his single game high as a professional with eight strikeouts. Terry walked two, but got a no decision.
Wisconsin went back in front in the bottom of the seventh inning. Johnny Davis was hit by a pitch from Clinton reliever Ricardo Peireira with one out. Davis stole second with two outs. Michael Ratterree doubled to left-center on the next pitch to drive in Davis for a 2-1 lead.
Rattlers reliever Chad Thompson took over for Seth Harvey, who had pitched a scoreless seventh, to start the eighth. Austin Wilson doubled with one out. Thompson got the second out with a strikeout, but DeCarlo singled to center to drive in Wilson with the tying run. Justin Seager kept the inning going with a single to left on the next pitch. Then, Jeff Zimmerman lined an 0-1 pitch from Thompson to the gap in left-center to drive in two runs and the LumberKings were up 4-2.
Aaron Brooks pitched a 1-2-3 bottom of the eighth inning. Omar Garcia started the Wisconsin ninth with a single off Brooks. Angel Ortega lined the next pitch towards right-center field, but second baseman Martin Peguero made a leaping grab for the first out and fired to first to double Garcia off first base. Brooks got the final out on a popout to short and the LumberKings held on for the win.
Ratterree had three hits, including two doubles, on the night. Ratterree now has 52 extra-base hits this season.
The loss also dropped the Timber Rattlers out of a tie with the Cedar Rapids Kernels for the second half Western Division lead and allowed the Peoria Chiefs to pick up a game in the second half Western Division Wild Card race. The Kernels won 12-5 at Beloit and the Peoria Chiefs won 4-2 in 14 innings at Beloit. The Rattlers trail Cedar Rapids by a game and lead Peoria by two games with twenty games remaining in the second half.
Game two of the series is Wednesday night at Neuroscience Group Field at Fox Cities Stadium. Preston Gainey (4-7, 4.07) is the scheduled starting pitcher for the Timber Rattlers. Clinton has named Seon-Gi Kim (1-2, 2.92) as their starter. Game time is 7:05pm.
Thrivent and the Timber Rattlers invite fans to bring in school supplies to donate to the Stuff the Bus Drive before the game on Wednesday night. School supplies (Backpacks, folders, notebooks, colored pencils, markers, filler paper, rulers, erasers, etc.) will be collected for this drive and distributed to children in need in Northeastern Wisconsin.
Enjoy Cher-Make hotdogs, Pepsi products, and Miller beer for $1 during a WIXX Bang For Your Buck Night. Then, settle in for a special Wednesday night postgame fireworks display presented by Thrivent.
If you can't make it out to the ballpark, there are several ways to catch the action. MyNEW 32's Sports Showdown has the television broadcast beginning at 7:00pm. The radio broadcast is on AM1280, WNAM or IHeartRadio starting with the Miller Lite Pregame Show at 6:45pm. Subscribers to MiLB.TV my watch the game, too.
HOME RUN:
WIS:
Dustin DeMuth (1st, 0 on in 2nd inning off Carlos Misell, 0 out)
WP: Paul Fry (3-4)
LP: Chad Thompson (2-1)
SAVE: Aaron Brooks (4)
TIME: 2:55
ATTN: 4,962