Rattlers win 6-2 over Kernels

CEDAR RAPIDS, IA - The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers jumped to an early lead at Perfect Game Field on Tuesday night and this time they held on to beat the Cedar Rapids Kernels 6-2. Marcos Diplan went five scoreless innings as the starting pitcher for the Rattlers and Mitch Ghelfi provided three hits and scored three runs in the game.

Ghelfi doubled to start the second inning for Wisconsin (41-42 overall, 7-6 second half). David Denson moved Ghelfi to third with a grounder to the right side of the infield. Ghelfi scored on a wild pitch by Kernels starter Miles Nordgren for a 1-0 lead.

Isan Diaz, who was named the Milwaukee Brewers Minor League Player of the Month for June earlier in the day, lined a homer to left to start the Rattlers fourth. The homer was the ninth of the season for Diaz.

Jake Gatewood followed with a double. Ghelfi was next and he reached on an infield single. An errant throw on the play let Gatewood score and Ghelfi take second base. Later in the inning a sacrifice fly by Juan Ortiz scored Ghelfi for a 4-0 advantage.

Diplan pitched five scoreless innings. He had to work out of a bases loaded jam in the bottom of the fourth as he allowed a single and two walks with one out, but he got a pair of strikeouts to shut down the Cedar Rapids rally,. Diplan allowed two hits, walked four, and struck out three in his start.

The Kernels (42-40, 6-7) rallied against the Timber Rattlers bullpen. Luis Arraez doubled to start the inning against reliever David Lucroy. Then, Zander Wiel hit a two-run home run to left and Wisconsin was only up by two runs. Nelson Molina followed with a single, but Lucroy retired the next three batters and worked a scoreless seventh to keep the Rattlers ahead.

On Monday, the Rattlers were up 5-0 after the top of the third inning, but lost 6-5 as the Kernels came back to win. That was not to be the case on Tuesday night.

Wisconsin tacked on an insurance run in the eighth inning as Max McDowell singled to left to drive in Brandon Diaz from third base. The Rattlers added a run in the ninth when Troy Stokes, Jr. was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded.

Lucroy turned the game over to Nate Griep for the bottom of the ninth. Griep worked a 1-2-3 frame to finish off the Kernels.

Game three of the series is Wednesday night at Perfect Game Field. Devin Williams (4-2, 3.83) is the scheduled starter for the Timber Rattlers. Eddie Del Rosario (0-2, 6.58) is set to start for the Kernels. Game time is 6:35pm.

The radio broadcast is on 1280 AM, WNAM starting with the pregame show at 6:15pm. The game is also available on the internet through IHeartRadio, TuneIn, and MiLB.TV.