Hey, 19! Rattlers crack Cougars 19-7
Wisconsin (64-66 overall, 26-34 second half) scored six times in the first inning against Cougars starting pitcher Santiago Garrido. The first three batters of the inning reached to load the bases. Then, Ramirez drove in a run with a sacrifice fly. A walk to Chad Stang reloaded the bases. A walk to Brandon Macias forced in a run to make the score 2-0.
Reggie Keen was next and he singled to right to drive in two runs. The throw went into third, but it was late to get Macias. Then, third baseman Cheslor Cuthbert tried to get Keen, who was headed to second base. The throw from Cuthbert went back into right field and both Macias and Keen scored on the play.
Another error in the bottom of the second inning allowed a run to score and put the Rattlers up 7-0.
But, Rattlers starting pitcher Brooks Hall could not hold the lead. The right-hander allowed five runs in the top of the third inning on a walk and five hits.
The Cougars (61-68, 33-27) tied the game 7-7 in the top of the fourth. Yowill Espinal started the inning with a single. Angel Franco followed with a home run to right.
Brian Garman relieved Hall after the home run. Garman would toss three scoreless innings and allow the Rattlers offense to respond.
It did not take long.
Alex Rivers, who relieved Garrido to start the third inning, walked Mittelstaedt to start the fourth. Cody Hawn followed with an RBI double. After Stang drew a one out walk, Macias followed with a two-run double. Keen was next and his single sent Macias home. Later in the inning, Franklin Romero, Jr. cracked an RBI triple to right-center and the Rattlers were back in front by a 12-7 score.
Mittelstaedt walked and stole second to start the fifth inning against Cole White, the third Kane County pitcher of the night. Ramirez knocked in his second run of the night with a double.
The Rattlers put the game away in the sixth inning as they sent ten men to the plate and scored five more runs. Keen started the frame with a walk and Joey Paciorek launched a home run over the wall in center.
Chase Boruff, the fourth Kane County pitcher in the game, entered the contest later in the sixth with one on and one out. He gave up a single and a walk to load the bases. Ramirez followed with another double to pick up two more RBI. An RBI single by Chad Stang capped the scoring in the inning and the Rattlers were up 18-7.
Maverick Lasker relieved Garman to start the top of the seventh inning and he tossed three innings and retired all nine batters he faced with five strikeouts. Lasker picked up his first professional save with his Friday night performance.
Ramirez wrapped up the scoring in the game by blasting a home run to the beach in right-center to start the eighth inning. The homer was off Juan Graterol, the sixth and final pitcher of the night for the Cougars. Graterol started the game as the catcher for Kane County.
Wisconsin just missed matching the franchise record for runs in a game. The Rattlers record of 20 runs in a game was originally set on April 28, 1996 against Lansing. It was matched on August 14, 2001 at Fort Wayne.
The Timber Rattlers begin a four game series with the Cedar Rapids Kernels Saturday night at 6:35pm. Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Carlos Gomez will play the first of his scheduled four rehabilitation appearances for the Rattlers on Saturday. Wisconsin has Del Howell (2-7, 5.61) as their scheduled starting pitcher. Cedar Rapids has PJ Jang (2-5, 3.97) as their scheduled starter.
The final FOX 11 Fireworks display of the season is scheduled for after Saturday's game.
If you can't make it out to the game, tune in for the broadcast on AM1280, WNAM or timberrattlers.com starting with the Miller Lite Pregame Show at 6:15pm Saturday's game is also available on MiLB.TV.
HOME RUNS:
KC:
Angel Franco (4th, 1 on in 4th inning, off Brooks Hall, 0 out)
WIS:
Joey Paciorek (2nd, 1 on in 6th inning, off Cole White, 0 out)
Nick Ramirez (3rd, 0 on in 8th inning, off Juan Graterol, 0 out)
WP: Brian Garman (4-3)
LP: Alex Rivers (0-1)
SAVE: Maverick Lasker (1)
TIME: 3:29
ATTN: 5,427