Wisconsin sweeps their way out of Quad Cities
TJ Mittelstaedt put Wisconsin (10-12) on the board first. The Rattlers rightfielder blasted a one-out, solo homer to right. Mittelstaedt's second home run of the season made the score 1-0.
Quad Cities (11-14) tied the game in the fourth inning with plenty of help. Cody Stanley started the frame with a single. He went to second on a passed ball charged to catcher Tyler Roberts. Stanley took third on a wild pitch by Tyler Thornburg. Moments later, Thornburg let loose another wild pitch and Stanley scored.
Roberts started the Wisconsin half of the fifth inning with a walk. A hit-and-run single by Greg Hopkins sent Roberts around to third base. Robbie Garvey's sacrifice fly to deep right-center allowed Roberts to score the run that put the Rattlers up 2-1.
Later in the inning Wisconsin loaded the bases with one out, but did not cash in on the opportunity. The Rattlers also had runners at the corners in the and no outs in the sixth and runners at first and second in the seventh. The did not score in either inning.
Thornburg, who would pick up his first Midwest League win, left after the sixth. He allowed six hits, walked two, threw a pair of wild pitches, and committed a balk. But, he struck out four and made the pitches that he had to make to get out of the jams.
Stosh Wawrzasek relieved Thornburg and struck out the side in order in the bottom of the seventh.
The Rattler bats got the insurance run in the top of the eighth. Romero tripled to start the inning. Greg Hopkins drove him in with a suicide squeeze bunt for the 3-1 advantage.
Wawrzasek went back out for the bottom of the eighth and worked around a two out walk to keep Quad Cities off the scoreboard.
Greg Holle, who got the final three outs of Monday's win, came on for the ninth and struck out a pair to finish the game for his third save.
The three-game sweep marks the first time the Wisconsin franchise has done that to the River Bandits at Modern Woodmen Park. It is the first sweep for the Rattlers at Quad Cities since the won all four games in a series from June 30 to July 3, 2003.
The Rattlers continue their road trip by heading to Beloit to start a three-game series with the Snappers on Wednesday night. Matt Miller (1-2, 4.43) is the scheduled starting pitcher for Wisconsin. Adrian Salcedo (1-1, 2.78) is set to start for Beloit. Game time is 6:30pm. Tune in on AM1280 or timberrattlers.com for the Miller Lite Pregame Show starting at 6:10pm.
HOME RUN:
WI: TJ Mittelstaedt (2nd, 0 on in 1st inning, off Trevor Rosenthal, 1 out)
WP: Tyler Thornburg (1-0)
LP: Trevor Rosenthal (1-3)
SAVE: Greg Holle (3)
TIME: 2:43
ATTN: 706