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Jimenez Tosses a Gem to Beat Kernels

Rattlers starter takes a no-hitter into the eighth in 4-0 win
Edwin Jimenez is congratulated by his teammates after his performance against the Cedar Rapids Kernels on July 30, 2023.  Jimenez allowed one hit and struck out ten over 7-1/3 innings to earn the win over the Kernels. (Wisconsin Timber Rattlers/MiLB.tv)
July 30, 2023

GRAND CHUTE, WI – Edwin Jimenez came through with the starting pitching performance the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers bullpen needed on Sunday afternoon against the Cedar Rapids Kernels at Neuroscience Group Field at Fox Cities Stadium. Jimenez pitched 7-1/3 innings with three walks and ten strikeouts as he carried a no-hitter

GRAND CHUTE, WI – Edwin Jimenez came through with the starting pitching performance the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers bullpen needed on Sunday afternoon against the Cedar Rapids Kernels at Neuroscience Group Field at Fox Cities Stadium. Jimenez pitched 7-1/3 innings with three walks and ten strikeouts as he carried a no-hitter into the eighth inning to lead the Rattlers to a 4-0 win.

Click here for the boxscore

Click here for the Postgame Podcast to hear from Edwin Jimenez and Joe Ayrault

The Wisconsin relievers needed a break after a logging 31 of the 47 innings during the first five games of the series with the Kernels. Jimenez was up to the task.

Jimenez walked the second batter of the game. Then, struck out the next two batters. He would walk the lead-off batter in the second before retiring the next ten batters he faced. That string was broken up by a walk with one out in the fifth inning. He stranded that runner, and by the time Jimenez took the mound for the sixth inning, the Rattlers (16-14 second half, 42-51 overall) had built a 4-0 lead.

Jose Acosta put the Timber Rattlers in front with a two-out, three-run home run to right field in the bottom of the fourth inning. The homer was the third of the season for Acosta.

Wisconsin added to their lead in the bottom of the fifth. Joe Gray Jr started the rally with a one-out single. Hendry Mendez ripped a double past first and into the corner to allow Gray to score.

In the sixth, Jimenez retired the side in order with two strikeouts. He also set down the side in order in the top of the seventh while recording his tenth strikeout of the game. Jimenez matched his single-game high as a professional for strikeouts. He also had ten Ks in a game against Kannapolis on August 4, 2022 as a member of the Carolina Mudcats.

The Kernels (18-12, 58-38) broke up the no-hit bid with one out in the eighth. Jimenez got the first out with a grounder to short. Dalton Shuffield was next, and he grounded a single into left field. Shuffield had been 0-for-6 in the series to that point, but his single marked the end of the game for Jimenez.

The fans let out a groan of disappointment after the single by Shuffield, but the mood in the stadium turned to one of appreciation with an ovation for Jimenez as he left the mound for the home dugout to make way for reliever Shane Smith.

Smith got the final two outs in the eighth and the first two outs in the ninth before a walk and a throwing error on an infield single put runners on the corners. He closed out the game with a grounder to third. Smith has allowed one run in 12-2/3 innings over seven appearances with Wisconsin.

The Rattlers recorded their third shutout of the season. Sunday’s game was just the fourth time Cedar Rapids has been shutout this season. The Kernels had not been held scoreless since May 11.

Jimenez became the first Rattler this season to record ten strikeouts in a game. He also became the first Wisconsin starting pitcher to record an out in the eighth inning of a game this season. The last time a non-rehab starter recorded an out in the eighth inning of a game that started and ended on the same day was Bowden Francis, who when eight innings against the Bowling Green Hot Rods on July 21, 2018.

A note about those qualifiers. Zach Davies pitched a nine-inning complete game on a rehab assignment from the Milwaukee Brewers in a game at Clinton on August 27, 2018. Aaron Ashby pitched eight innings in a game against Beloit in 2019, but it started at Pohlman Field on April 17 and ended at Neuroscience Group Field on June 7.

Sunday’s win gave the Timber Rattlers a 4-2 series win in the six-game set with the Kernels. Wisconsin is 4-6-7 in series this season.

The Timber Rattlers are off on Monday. They return to action on Tuesday night at Four Winds Field in South Bend, Indiana to start a series with the South Bend Cubs. Nate Peterson (0-0, 2.25) is the scheduled starting pitcher for the Timber Rattlers. Game time is 6:05pm CDT. The radio broadcast on AM1280, WNAM starts with the Community Blood Center Pregame Show at 5:45pm. Fans can listen on the radio, on the First Pitch app, or at this link. The internet video feed is available to subscribers of Bally Live, too.