Attack of the Tylers
Tyler Roberts put Wisconsin (27-23) in front in the third inning. The Rattlers catcher crushed a 2-1 pitch over the wall in left-center for his second home run of the season. The leadoff blast gave the Rattlers a 1-0 lead.
Thornburg kept the Cougars (22-28) off the scoreboard through the middle innings as he worked around a couple of hits and a couple of errors.
Roberts struck again with one out in the eighth inning. This time he got a hold of a 2-0 pitch and launched a line drive over the picnic deck in left field. Roberts becomes the first Wisconsin player in 2011 to hit two home runs in a game since Hunter Morris did the deed on August 15, 2010.
Thornburg retired 12 in a row at one point until he allowed a two-out RBI single to Ryan Stovall in the bottom of the ninth inning. But, Thornburg got Jake Kuebler to send a fly ball to left for the final out and the complete game shutout. Of the five hits he gave up, only one made it to the outfield. Thornburg struck out eight and walked none to pick up his fourth win of the season.
This was the first nine-inning complete game shutout by a Rattlers pitcher since Michael Pineda tossed one at Quad Cities on September 1, 2008.
Thornburg also ran his current scoreless streak to 19-1/3 innings. He has not allowed a run in his last three starts.
The final game of the series between the Rattlers and Cougars is Monday afternoon at 1:00pm. Charly Bashara (2-3, 5.34) is the scheduled starting pitcher for the Timber Rattlers. Kane County has Leondy Perez as their scheduled starter. Tune in for the broadcast on AM1280, WNAM or timberrattlers.com starting with the Miller Lite Pregame Show at 12:40pm.
HOME RUNS:
WIS:
Tyler Roberts (2nd, 0 on in 3rd inning, off Sugar Ray Marimon, 0 out)
Tyler Roberts (3rd, 0 on in 8th inning, off Sugar Ray Marimon, 1 out)
WP: Tyler Thornburg (4-0)
LP: Sugar Ray Marimon (3-3)
TIME: 2:08
ATTN: 8,206