FOUR! Rattlers crack four home runs in 11-7 win over Cedar Rapids
May 8, 2014
GRAND CHUTE, WI - Jose Pena, Clint Coulter, David Denson, and Chris McFarland all homered as the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers opened their homestand with an 11-7 win over the Cedar Rapids Kernels Thursday night at Neuroscience Group Field at Fox Cities Stadium.
Cedar Rapids (18-15) scored twice off Barrett Astin in the top of the second inning. Jason Kanzler singled and Bo Altobelli walked with one out. Joel Licon singled to score Kanzler. A single by JD Williams loaded the bases. Engleb Vielma's sacrifice fly to right was deep enough to drive in Altobelli and the Kernels were up 2-0.
Wisconsin (15-18) answered in the bottom of the second. Denson drew a walk and moved to second on a wild pitch. Taylor Brennan knocked in Denson with a single. Pena followed with a two-run homer and the Rattlers led 3-2.
Jason Kanzler hit a two-run homer with two outs in the top of the third inning off Wisconsin starter Barrett Astin to put the Kernels back up at 4-3.
Coulter stepped up in the bottom of the third inning after McFarland hit a leadoff double. Coulter hit a ball that left a vapor trail behind it as it cleared the left field wall for a two-run homer and the Rattlers were back in front 5-4. Coulter's home run was his seventh of the season. The two RBI gave him 26 in 2014. Coulter is tied with Eric Haase of Lake County for the Midwest League lead in homers. Coulter leads the lead in RBI.
Angel Ortega used his feet to score Wisconsin's sixth run. He was on third and McFarland was on first with Coulter at the plate in the fourth inning. Ball four to Coulter bounced a short distance away from Kernels catcher Bo Altobelli, who could not locate the ball. Ortega raced for home and just beat Altobelli to the plate. That run scoring wild pitch chased Cedar Rapids starting pitcher Felix Jorge from the game.
Denson greeted the left-handed Brandon Bixler with a home run to left-center. The three-run shot gave Wisconsin a 9-4 lead.
Brennan kept the offense rolling with a leadoff triple in the bottom of the fifth. Pena singled through the drawn-in infield to knock in Brennan for a 10-4 lead.
The Kernels came back against reliever Chris Razo in the top of the seventh. A single and a hit batsman put the first two runners on base. Razo got the next two outs. Vielma singled with two outs to knock in the first run of the inning for Cedar Rapids. Razo hit the next batter to load the bases. Chad Christensen followed with a two-run single and the Kernels were within 10-7.
Trevor Seidenberger relieved Razo, but walked Ivory Thomas to load the bases to bring the go ahead run to the plate. Seidenberger got the final out of the seventh by getting Bryan Haar to pop out to left.
McFarland hit the fourth and final home run of the night for the Timber Rattlers when he went deep with a one out solo shot in the bottom of the sixth. Wisconsin has hit 28 home runs this season, the most by any team in the Midwest League.
Seidenberger tossed a perfect seventh and a perfect eighth to maintain the Wisconsin lead and extend his current scoreless streak to 9-2/3 innings. Mark Williams closed out the game with a scoreless ninth. A quartet of Wisconsin pitchers combined for thirteen strikeouts on Thursday.
The Timber Rattlers have won two straight games for the first time since their four-game winning streak of April 12 through April 16.
Game two of the series is Friday night. Zach Quintana (0-2, 6.14) is the scheduled starting pitcher for Wisconsin. Cedar Rapids has named Aaron Slegers (3-0, 2.52) as their starting pitcher. Game time is 6:35pm.
There will be Trick-or-Treating, costumes, thrills, and chills for all during Halloween in May on Friday night. It's also a North Shore Bank Family night. Children 12 and under receive a free hot dog and soda. Plus, those 14 and under may participate in Kids Run the Bases thanks to Molina Healthcare after the game.
If you can't make it out to the ballpark, there are several ways to catch the action. MyNEW32's Sports Showdown will have the television broadcast beginning with their pregame show at 6:00pm. The radio broadcast will be available on AM1280, WNAM and IHeartRadio starting with the pregame show at 6:15pm. Subscribers to MiLB.TV may also watch the game.
HOME RUNS:
CR:
Jason Kanzler (2nd, 1 on in 3rd inning off Barrett Astin, 2 out)
WIS:
Jose Pena (4th, 1 on in 2nd inning off Felix Jorge, 1 out)
Clint Coulter (7th, 1 on in 3rd inning off Felix Jorge, 1 out)
David Denson (3rd, 2 on in 4th inning off Alex Muren, 2 out)
Chris McFarland (5th, 0 on in 6th inning off Alex Muren, 1 out)
WP: Trevor Seidenberger (2-0)
LP: Felix Jorge (2-3)
TIME: 3:16
ATTN: 2,944