Quad Cities chills Wisconsin's homecoming
GRAND CHUTE, WI - The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers returned home from a week of bad weather in Iowa and were happy to be able to play at Time Warner Cable Field at Fox Cities Stadium on Sunday. But, the Quad Cities River Bandits and Houston Astros prospect Carlos Correa spoiled the homecoming with a 12-5 decision over Wisconsin. The result also put a damper on the professional debut of Victor Roache, the latest Milwaukee Brewers prospect on the Timber Rattlers roster.
Correa, the #1 overall pick in the 2012 draft, put the River Bandits (10-5) up in the top of the first with a solo home run.
Roache, who was selected with Milwaukee's 28th pick in the first round of the 2012 draft, responded for the Timber Rattlers in the bottom of the first. Roache lined the second pitch he saw in his professional debut off the scoreboard in left-center for a two-run homer and a 2-1 lead.
Chris McFarland followed with another home run and the back-to-back round trippers put Wisconsin (5-8) in front 3-1.
But, the River Bandits came back with three runs in the top of the second inning. Ariel Ovando drove in the first run with a double. Jordan Scott was next and his two-run double pushed Quad Cities up 4-3.
Jesse Wierzbicki pressed the River Bandits advantage to 6-3 with a two run home run in the top of the third.
Wisconsin pulled to within a run in the bottom of the third. Clint Coulter, who was picked with the 27th pick in the 2012 draft by the Brewers, knocked in a run with a sacrifice fly. Adam Giacalone, who just joined the team on Sunday, followed with an RBI single.
But, the River Bandits pulled away with three runs in the top of the fifth inning. Wisconsin starting pitcher Leonard Lorenzo walked Correa to start the fifth and gave up an RBI double to Austin Elkins. Lorenzo walked Wierzbicki and that was all for the Rattlers right-hander.
Wisconsin reliever Taylor Wall would get a strikeout to record the first out of the frame, but Rio Ruiz drove in two runs with a double and the Bandits were up 9-5.
Quad Cities put the game away with three more runs in the top of the eighth. Correa hit his second home run of the game, a two-run shot to left off Damien Magnifico. A wild pitch let the third run of the inning score.
Wisconsin went down quietly in the second half of the game. Vincent Velasquez retired the final eleven Rattlers hitters he faced in order to close out the game.
Game two of the series is scheduled for Monday evening. Brent Suter (0-1, 1.00) is scheduled to start for the Timber Rattlers. Daniel Minor (1-0, 5.56) is set to go for the River Bandits. Game time is 6:35pm.
Monday is a Qdoba Q*Monday with 106.7 The Kruz. Purchase a lunch entrée at either Qdoba location in Appleton and receive a ticket to any Monday home game during the 2013 season.
If you can't make it out to the game, there are a myriad of ways to follow the action. Monday's game is being broadcast on Time Warner Cable SportsChannel. The game is available to fans with subscriptions to MiLB.TV. The radio broadcast on AM1280, WNAM starts with the Miller Lite Pregame Show at 6:15pm.
HOME RUNS:
QC:
Carlos Correa (2nd, 0 on in 1st inning off Leonard Lorenzo, 1 out)
Jesse Wierzbicki (2nd, 1 on in 3rd inning off Leonard Lorenzo, 1 out)
Carlos Correa (3rd, 1 on in 8th inning off Damien Magnifico, 2 out)
WIS:
Victor Roache (1st, 1 on in 1st inning off Joe Bircher, 1 out)
Chris McFarland (1st, 0 on in 1st inning off Joe Burcher
WP: Michael Dimock (2-0)
LP: Leonard Lorenzo (0-1)
SAVE: Vincent Velasquez (2)
TIME: 2:44
ATTN: 2,478