Rattlers drop rain-shortened game to Beloit
A light rain started falling just before the first pitch of the game. Jimmy Nelson struck out the leadoff batter in a rain that fell harder as the inning progressed. Nelson walked the next batter and the call for the tarp went out before the runner could reach first base. That led to a delay of seventy minutes.
Nelson took the hill when play resumed and walked the first batter he faced on the restart. The Rattlers starter struck out the next batter, but a single to right by Tyler Grimes scored a run to give Beloit (60-57 overall, 22-25 second half) a 1-0 lead.
Mike Brownstein doubled and TJ Mittelstaedt walked with one out in the bottom of the first. Then, Soliman got Chad Stang to ground into an inning ending 6-4-3 double play. Soliman would not allow another base runner until the sixth inning.
The Snappers put three runs on the board in the top of the third. Nate Roberts doubled with one out. Lance Ray singled to right and Roberts scored just ahead of a throw from Stang. Daniel Ortiz was next and his single to left got Ray to third. Ortiz took second on the throw to third. One out later, Adam Bryant singled to center to drive in both Ortiz and Ray for a 4-0 lead.
Greg Hopkins got Wisconsin (57-60, 19-28) on the board in the sixth inning. Hopkins lined a homer to left to lead off the frame to end Soliman's streak of batters retired at 13.
In the bottom of the seventh, Nick Ramirez doubled with two outs and took third on an error. But, Soliman ended the inning just before another cloudburst hit the ballpark. The tarp went on the field again. Thirty minutes later, the game was ruled a final.
Soliman struck out three, walked one, and gave up three hits to pick up the complete game victory over the Rattlers.
The Timber Rattlers begin a three game series with the Quad Cities River Bandits on Saturday night at Time Warner Cable Field. Game time is 6:35pm.
Eric Arnett, the first round pick of the Milwaukee Brewers in the 2009 draft, is the scheduled starter for the Timber Rattlers. Arnett will be making his 2011 Midwest League debut. Quad Cities has Anthony Ferrera (10-6, 3.15) as their scheduled starting pitcher.
After the game, there will be a fireworks display courtesy of FOX 11.
If you can't make it out to the ballpark, tune in for the broadcast on AM 1280, WNAM or timberrattlers.com starting with the Miller Lite Pregame Show at 6:15pm. Saturday's game is also available on MiLB.TV
HOME RUN:
WIS:
Greg Hopkins (7th, 0 on in 6th inning, off Manuel Soliman, 0 out)
WP: Manuel Soliman (7-8)
LP: Jimmy Nelson (6-8)
TIME: 2:09 (1:40 delay)
ATTN: 4,496