Wisconsin's win streak ends in Clinton
Clinton (10-28) grabbed a 3-0 lead in the third inning. The inning started when Rattlers starter Charly Bashara walked leadoff batter Carlton Tanabe. Robbie Anston was the next batter and he bunted back to the mound. But, Bashara double clutched while thinking about throwing to second and had no play to first Then, Shaver Hansen dragged a bunt up the first base line and reached on an error when Bashara bobbled the ball to load the bases.
Matt Browning would single to left field to deliver a pair of runs for the LumberKings. A sacrifice fly by Tim Morris made the score 3-0.
Bashara regrouped to get the final two outs of the third inning and get the first two outs of the fourth. But, the trio of Tanabe, Anston, and Hansen struck again in the fourth. Tanabe tripled to the gap in right-center with two out. Anston followed with a RBI double to left and an error on the play let him take third base. An infield single by Hansen let Anston score for a 5-0 lead.
The Rattlers (18-16) struggled against Walker. Seattle's supplemental first round draft pick in the 2010 draft did not allow a hit until Robbie Garvey singled to start the sixth inning.
Clinton took advantage of some wildness from Bashara and some shaky fielding to put the game away in the bottom of the sixth. Bashara hit Tanabe and Anston with one out. Shaver followed with an RBI single to chase Bashara.
Browning greeted reliever Dan Britt with an RBI single. Later in the inning, the LumberKings loaded the bases and with two outs Mickey Wiswall's popup was dropped by Yadiel Rivera and two runs scored for a 9-0 lead.
Cody Hawn singled with one out in the seventh inning and that knocked Walker out of the game. He struck out 11 over 6-1/3 innings without walking a batter as he reached over 95 pitches. Wisconsin would score a run on Walker after he left the game as Reggie Keen's sacrifice fly off reliever Nathan Reed knocked in Hawn.
But, Clinton tacked on two more runs in the seventh inning off reliever Tyler Cravy on an RBI grounder off the bat of Anston and a double by Browning.
The Timber Rattlers are off on Monday. They return to action on Tuesday night at Time Warner Cable Field. They will host the Beloit Snappers on a 105.7 WAPL Bang for your Buck Night with soda, hot dogs, and beer available for $1. Game time on Tuesday is 6:35pm.
WP: Taijuan Walker (1-2)
LP: Charly Bashara (2-2)
TIME: 2:29