Snappers crack Rattlers in ten innings
BELOIT, WI - The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers suffered another heartbreaking defeat on Friday night. The Rattlers saw a pair of leads evaporate at Pohlman Field and had to watch the Beloit Snappers celebrate after a 6-5 walkoff win in ten innings.
Wisconsin (25-54 overall, 2-7 second half) took an early lead with three runs in the top of the second inning. Elvis Rubio was hit by a pitch with one out. Alan Sharkey followed with single to left on a hit-and-run. Rubio went around to third and drew a throw. Sharkey saw the throw go into third and made second base without a throw. Sthervin Matos was next and his grounder to third got in a pair of runs when the throw to first was wild. Later in the inning, Brandon Diaz drove in Matos with a sacrifice fly and the Rattlers had a 3-0 lead.
The Rattlers added to their lead in the third inning. Elvis Rubio drove in Dustin DeMuth from third base with a sacrifice fly to make it 4-0.
Wisconsin could not hold this lead against the Snappers (31-48, 5-4).
Jon Perrin, Milwaukee's 27th round pick in the 2015 draft, made his Midwest League debut as the starting pitcher for the Timber Rattlers on Friday and worked the first four innings in scoreless fashion with only two hits against him. Perrin struck out the first batter he faced in the bottom of the fifth, but gave up consecutive singles to Max Kuhn and Shawn Duinkerk. Perrin got the second out on a force play at second, but Yairo Munoz beat out the throw to first for what could have been an inning-ending double play. Then, Munoz stole second to get into scoring position. Iolana Akau was next and he singled to right to drive in two runs. Perrin would leave the game for Scott Lieser.
Justin Higley greeted Lieser with a long, two-run home run to right to tie the game 4-4.
Perrin's official line was 4-2/3 innings pitched, five hits, three runs, no walks, and three strikeouts.
The Rattlers caught the Snappers by surprise to take the lead in the top of the seventh. Blake Allemand and Khris Davis drew walks with one out against Jerad Grundy and a grounder to first moved both runners into scoring position. Carlos Leal bunted with the third baseman back and Allemand scored as Leal reached first without a throw to give the Rattlers a 5-4 lead.
Wisconsin tried to manufacture another run in the inning. Rubio was at the plate when Leal took off for second to draw a throw to let Davis score, but the Snappers were ready for this play and Davis was tagged out in a rundown between third and home for the final out of the frame.
The Rattlers could not protect this lead either.
Zach Cooper walked Sandber Pimentel, the leadoff batter, in the bottom of the ninth. Cooper got the first out and nearly ended the game on a strike-'em out, throw-'em out double play as he got the strikeout for the second out of the ninth, but pinch-runner James Harris was just safe at second base. Cooper would throw a wild pitch to allow Harris to take third with pinch-hitter Argenis Raga at the plate, but he was ahead 1-2 in the count.
Raga fouled off one two-strike pitch to stay alive before lining a double down the line in left to send the tying run home
Leal nearly gave the Rattlers the lead in the top of the tenth. He hit a high, deep drive to the wall in right field as the leadoff batter against Carlos Navas. But, Higley got back to the wall, leaped, and made the catch to rob Leal of a home run. The next two batters would reach against Navas, but the Rattlers could do nothing with that. Wisconsin wound up stranding ten runners in the game and going 1-for-7 with runners in scoring position.
Luis Ortega took over on the mound for the Rattlers in the bottom of the tenth and walked the first two batters of the inning on eight pitches. Ortega got the first out of the inning on a force play at second, but that left runners at the corners for Jose Brizuela.
Brizuela hit a chopper to second with the infield a couple of steps off the infield grass and the Rattlers tried to turn two end the inning. Wisconsin got the out at second, but Brizuela beat the throw to first to allow the winning run to score.
Wisconsin has lost six straight games. The last four losses have been by one run. The last two losses were walkoff defeats at the hands of the Snappers in Beloit.
The series moves to Neuroscience Group Field at Fox Cities Stadium on Saturday night. Angel Ventura (3-2, 2.47) is the scheduled starting pitcher for the Timber Rattlers. Heath Fillmyer (0-8, 7.87) is set to start for the Snappers. Game time is 6:35pm.
Celebrate Independence Day evening and Military Appreciation Weekend with the Timber Rattlers and American National Bank. Current and former military personnel receive a free ticket for reserved bleacher seat by showing military ID or proof of service at the box office for July 4th.
Davis is scheduled to conclude his rehabilitation assignment as he plays for the Rattlers in the final two games of the series with the Snappers at home on Saturday night and Sunday afternoon.
Wisconsin Timber Rattlers players and coaches will wear patriotic jerseys and caps for this game. The jerseys will be available for bid in a silent auction during the game. Proceeds from the auction will go to the Fox Valley Veterans Emergency Fund. Additionally, a veteran in attendance will receive a surprise "Extreme Bathroom Makeover" from Tundraland Home Improvements with the new bathroom being unveiled to the winner during the game! Stick around after the game for an All-American Fireworks display presented by FOX 11.
If you can't make it out to the game, the radio broadcast is on AM1280, WNAM starting with the Miller Lite Pregame Show at 6:15. The broadcast may also be heard on Tune In Radio and IHeartRadio. Subscribers to MiLB.TV may watch the game on that platform.
HOME RUN:
BEL:
Justin Higley (4th, 1 on in 5th inning off Scott Lieser, 2 out)
WP: Carlos Navas (2-1)
LP: Luis Ortega (1-7)
TIME: 3:20
ATTN: 2,282