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MLB

Pérez Powers Wisconsin Past Kernels

Rattlers win third straight game with late surge
By Chris Mehring
April 26, 2025

CEDAR RAPIDS, IA – Hedbert Pérez broke a 2-2 tie with a solo homer in the top of the eighth inning to push the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers in front of the Cedar Rapids Kernels on Saturday afternoon at Veterans Memorial Stadium. Wisconsin would go on to a 4-2 victory.

CEDAR RAPIDS, IA – Hedbert Pérez broke a 2-2 tie with a solo homer in the top of the eighth inning to push the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers in front of the Cedar Rapids Kernels on Saturday afternoon at Veterans Memorial Stadium. Wisconsin would go on to a 4-2 victory.

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The Timber Rattlers (8-12) were gifted a run in the top of the second inning. Pérez singled with one out and was still at first with two outs. Jheremy Vargas hit a high popup to the left side of the infield that third baseman Billy Amick dropped for an error to allow the inning to continue with runners at the corners for Yhoswar Garcia. Kernels starting pitcher Tanner Hall got to a 2-2 count on Garcia when he tried to pick Vargas off first base. The throw was wild and that allowed Pérez to score.

The Kernels (11-8) had a runner at first after a lead-off, infield single by Nate Baez in the bottom of the third. Wisconsin starter Tyson Hardin struck out the next two batters but struggled to find the third. Kyle Hess, the number nine batter in the Cedar Rapids lineup, singled to right to get Baez to third. Kaelen Culpepper singled up the middle to score the tying run. Kyle DeBarge followed with a single to score Hess with the go-ahead run. Hardin gave up a walk to load the bases before getting a strikeout to end the frame.

Wisconsin evened the score in the sixth inning against reliever Spencer Bengard. Pérez, who homered against Bengard on Tuesday night in the series opener, drew a four-pitch walk with one out. Tayden Hall laced a double to left-center to score Pérez with the tying run.

The bottom of the seventh had some nervous moments for the Rattlers and reliever Patricio Aquino. Brandon Winokur started the inning with a deep drive to the wall in left that Jheremy Vargas caught. Then, Aquino hit three of the next four Cedar Rapids batters to load the bases with two outs. Aquino escaped the inning on a force play at second base.

Pérez came back to the plate with one out in the top of the eighth and unloaded on the first pitch of this at bat against Bengard to hit a no-doubt home run to right. The homer was the third of the season for Pérez.

In the bottom of the eighth, Aquino gave up a lead-off single to Hess, who went 4-for-4 on the afternoon. Aquino was not rattled as he got Culpepper to ground into a 6-4-3 double play and DeBarge to flyout to left.

The Rattlers added an insurance run in the top of the ninth inning on a few more Cedar Rapids miscues. Garcia reached on a grounder behind third that was ruled an error to start the frame against Logan Whitaker. Garcia took off early with Daniel Guilarte at the plate and Whitaker still in his set. Whitaker stepped off the rubber and ran at Garcia, who had frozen halfway between first and second. Garcia broke for second again after a moment and Whitaker’s throw sailed into center to allow Garcia to eventually wind up at third base. Then, Whitaker threw a wild pitch to let Garcia score for a 4-2 lead.

Yerlin Rodriguez, who gave up a three-run home run in the bottom of the ninth inning in game one of the series on Tuesday night to be charged with a blown save and the loss against the Kernels, entered the game for the bottom of the ninth. Rodriguez made the most of his second opportunity with a perfect ninth by striking out the first two batters on six pitches and getting the final out on a grounder to short.

Pérez was 2-for-3 and scored three runs while Blake Burke went 3-for-4 in the game for the Rattlers.

Wisconsin is on their first three-game winning streak of the season.

The series finale is scheduled for Sunday afternoon at Veterans Memorial Stadium. The starting pitching match-up is a rematch of game one of the series with Manuel Rodriguez (0-1, 1.71) for the Timber Rattlers facing Joe Olivares (0-0, 0.00) for the Kernels. Game time is 1:05pm CDT. The radio broadcast on AM1280, WNAM and internet audio starts with the pregame show at 12:45pm. The game is also available MiLB.tv and Bally Sports Live.