Chiefs stop Rattlers win streak
GRAND CHUTE, WI - The Peoria Chiefs defeated the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers 9-3 on Saturday night at Neuroscience Group Field at Fox Cities Stadium to snap Wisconsin's four-game winning streak. All nine of Peoria's runs scored with two outs.
Wisconsin (59-51 overall, 23-18 second half) scored first. Taylor Brennan drew a walk to start the bottom of the first inning and Chris McFarland followed with a single off Peoria starter Rob Kaminsky. Michael Ratterree was next and he grounded into a 6-4-3 double play that got Brennan to third base. Clint Coulter singled to drive in Brennan for a 1-0 lead.
Peoria (59-51, 22-19) had a runner at third with two outs in the top of the third inning when Rattlers starting pitcher Preston Gainey walked Carson Kelly. Rowan Wick has next and he hit a three-run homer to right-center to give the Chiefs the lead.
In the fourth, Gainey retired the first two batters, but a walk to Vaughn Bryan and a wild pitch kept the inning alive. CJ McElroy Jr. hit a slow roller to first and he just beat the flip to the bag. Bryan never slowed around third base and scored ahead of the throw to the plate.
The Chiefs added a run against reliever Harvey Martin in the fifth. A walk and a hit batsman to start the inning were followed by a pair of strikeouts, but Ronald Castillo singled up the middle on an 0-2 pitch to drive in a run for a 5-1 lead.
Kaminsky ran into trouble against the Rattlers in the bottom of the sixth. Ratterree walked and Coulter singled to put two runners on base. Kaminsky got the first out with a strikeout before turning the game over to the bullpen.
Reliever Jhonny Polanco entered the game and walked Omar Garcia to load the bases. Polanco got the second out of the inning without a run scoring. Then, Angel Ortega battled a ten-pitch at bat as he fouled off five different two-strike pitches before lining a single to left that drove in Ratterree and Coulter to cut the Peoria lead to 5-3.
Martin had two one with two out in the top of the seventh inning, but gave up an RBI single to Cesar Valera. Richy Pedroza was next and he lined a 3-2 pitch into the corner in right for a two-run double that made it 8-3.
Chris Razo took over for Martin and an error on an infield single by Bryan allowed Pedroza to score for a 9-3 lead.
Polanco retired the Rattlers in order in the seventh and eighth innings. Steven Sabatino set the Rattlers down 1-2-3 in the ninth to finish the game.
The final game of the series is Sunday afternoon. Javier Salas, the 10th round pick of the Milwaukee Brewers from the 2014 draft, will make his Midwest League debut as the starting pitcher for the Timber Rattlers. Peoria plans on Arturo Reyes (6-7, 3.75) is set to start for the Chiefs. Game time is 1:05pm.
The first 1,000 fans to attend Sunday's game will receive the Khris Davis bobblehead courtesy of Goodwill as part of the 20th Anniversary bobblehead series.
Fans can play catch on-field courtesy of Rasmussen College before the Rattlers game and Bernie Brewer, the mascot of the Milwaukee Brewers, will be on hand to meet and greet fans as part of Brewers Sunday presented by 107.5, The Fan. Plus, Timber Rattlers players and coaches will be wearing gold Rattlers jerseys based on the design of the Milwaukee Brewers and all Timber Rattlers players will be available for a postgame autograph session.
Sunday is also McClone's Strike Out Cancer Day. The Timber Rattlers will donate $1 for all tickets sold on Sunday to the Strike Out Cancer Day Fund to benefit local families battling pediatric cancer. Shear Chaos Salon will be at the ballpark for fans who wish to participate in a Locks of Love Drive. Be the Match Bone Marrow registry will be at the game with information on how to Be the Match.
If you can't make it out to the ballpark, catch the action on AM1280, WNAM or IHeartRadio.com starting with the Miller Lite Pregame Show at 12:45pm. Sunday's game is also available to MiLB.tv subscribers.
HOME RUN:
PEO:
Rowan Wick (2nd, 2 on in 3rd inning off Preston Gainey, 2 out)
WP: Rob Kaminsky (6-2)
LP: Preston Gainey (3-7)
TIME: 3:02
ATTN: 5,797