Richards' Day
GRAND CHUTE, WI - The
Wisconsin Timber Rattlers have seen enough of the Cedar Rapids Kernels for now.
Kernels' starting pitcher Garrett Richards tossed a complete game and
struck out a professional career high 10 batters to defeat the Rattlers 8-1 on
Sunday at Time Warner Cable Field and complete the three-game sweep in the
Midwest League series. Mike Trout
and Justin Bass both homered for the Kernels.
Cedar Rapids also took advantage of nine walks and four hit batsmen by
Wisconsin's pitchers along with three errors by the Timber Rattlers defense.
Trout continued to torment the
Timber Rattlers. The leadoff batter
for the Kernels started Sunday's game with a home run off Eric Arnett to give
Cedar Rapids a 1-0 lead. Trout had
homered to lead off the top of the tenth inning on Saturday afternoon in a 5-4
Cedar Rapids win.
Wisconsin (9-21) tied the game
in the bottom of the first against Kernels starting pitcher Garrett Davis.
Khris Davis grounded into a 6-4-3 double play with runners at the corners
to score a run from third.
But, Cedar Rapids (17-14) went
back in front in the top of the second inning.
The Kernels loaded the bases with a pair of singles and a walk.
Arnett got the first out with a strikeout, but he would walk Trout to
force in the run that put Cedar Rapids up 2-1.
A bloop single by Jean Segura and a sacrifice fly by Luis Jimenez scored
the other two runs in the inning for a 4-1 lead.
Richards allowed a bunt single
to Pete Fatse in the second inning and proceeded to retire the next 11 Wisconsin
hitters. The Rattlers wouldn't get
their next hit until the seventh inning.
Bass, the #9 hitter in the
Cedar Rapids batting order, hit a two out, solo homer off Hiram Burgos in the
top of the sixth inning and the Kernels led 5-1.
That hit in the seventh inning
for the Rattlers was a leadoff triple by Khris Davis.
But, Richards struck out the next hitters to keep the Rattlers stuck on
one run.
The Kernels did not need a hit
to score three runs in the top of the eighth inning.
Reliever Chad Robinson retired the first hitter.
But, he would walk the Jon Karcich and Bass.
A wild pickoff throw to first by Rattlers catcher Cameron Garfield
allowed Karcich to score. Robinson
walked Trout to put runners at the corners, but would strikeout Segura.
Then, Robinson hit the next batter to load the bases.
The final two runs for the
Kernels scored when Eric Oliver walked on four pitches to force in a run and
Carlos George committed an error on a flip to second for what should have been
an inning ending force out.
Richards walked three and
allowed four hits as he finished off the Rattlers with less than 100 pitches on
the afternoon.
Wisconsin starts a brief
three-game road trip on Monday with a game at Modern Woodmen Park against the
Quad Cities River Bandits. Kyle
Heckathorn (1-2, 4.70) is the scheduled starting pitcher for the Rattlers.
Quad Cities sends Eric Fornataro (2-2, 3.66) to the mound.
Game time is 7:00pm. Tune in
for the broadcast on AM1280, WNAM starting with the Miller Lite Pregame Show at
6:40pm.
HOME RUNS:
CR:
Mike Trout (3rd, 0 on in 1st inning, off Eric Arnett, 0
out)
Justin Bass (1st, 0
on in 6th inning, off Hiram Burgos, 2 out)
WP: Garret Richards (2-1)
LP: Eric Arnett (0-3)
TIME: 2:32
ATTN: 2,912
Click
here for a complete boxscore of Sunday's Game