Rattlers score 13 to beat Bandits
GRAND CHUTE, WI - The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers used a seven-run third inning to build an 8-0 lead on the way to a 13-4 win over the Quad Cities River Bandits Sunday afternoon at Neuroscience Group Field at Fox Cities Stadium. Chris McFarland went 4-for-5 with a triple, two runs, and two RBI to pace Wisconsin's 14-hit attack. Michael Ratterree added hit fifteenth home run of the season for the Timber Rattlers.
Steve Halcomb put the Timber Rattlers (48-44 overall, 12-11 second half) in front with a two-out RBI double in the bottom of the second inning.
Wisconsin poured it on in the third inning as they sent eleven men to the plate and scored seven runs. McFarland started the inning with a triple. Ratterree drew a walk against Bandits starting pitcher Edison Frias. Clint Coulter knocked in McFarland with a sacrifice fly to center for a 2-0 lead.
Taylor Brennan doubled to get Ratterree around to third base. Rafael Neda delivered a single to center that plated both runners for a 4-0 lead. Neda took second on the throw home to get Brennan and took third on a passed ball. Omar Garcia followed with an RBI single and it was 5-0. Jose Pena was next and he was hit by a pitch.
Frias got the second out of the inning on a strikeout, but an error on a grounder off the bat of Johnny Davis allowed Garcia to score, the inning to continue, and end the day for Frias.
Davis would steal second when Tyler Brunnemann took over on the hill for Quad Cities. That set up McFarland with two runners in scoring position. McFarland came through with his second hit of the inning, an RBI single to score Pena and Davis for a seven-run frame and an 8-0 lead.
The teams would trade runs for the next few turns at the plate.
Quad Cities (47-45, 12-11) got a run off Wisconsin starter Zach Quintana in the top of the fourth on an RBI single by Chase McDonald.
Garcia knocked in a run with a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the fourth.
Ronnie Mitchell doubled in a run in the top of the fifth inning.
McFarland singled with two outs in the bottom of the fifth to bring Ratterree to the plate. Then, Ratterree drilled his fifteenth home run of the season. The two-run shot put the Rattlers up 11-2.
Quintana left after giving up a one-out double in the top of the sixth. He scattered nine hits over 5-1/3 innings, walked two, and struck out two.
Tyler Spurlin took over for Quintana and stranded the runner he inherited in the sixth and tossed a scoreless seventh.
The River Bandits got a pair of runs off Tristan Archer in the top of the eighth inning. Brett Phillips doubled in the first run. Jake Rodriguez scored on a wild pitch by Archer and the score was 11-4.
The Rattlers got those runs back in the bottom of the eighth. Brennan singled to start the inning for his third hit of the game. An error and a hit batter loaded the bases. Jose Pena's sacrifice fly got one run home. Halcomb plated the final run of the game with a single.
Archer would walk two batters with one out in the bottom of the ninth inning, but he closed out the game by getting McDonald to ground into a 6-4-3 double play.
Wisconsin matched their season high for runs in an inning, runs in a game, and hits in a game with their offensive output on Sunday.
The Timber Rattlers have taken an 8-7 lead in the season series from the River Bandits with one more game left between the teams in the regular season. Wisconsin has also outscored the River Bandits 80-75 in the season series. The first playoff tie-breaker in case the teams end the regular season with identical records is the goes to the team that wins the season series. The second tie-breaker is the team with the better run differential in the series between the teams.
Monday is a Qdoba Q*Monday with KRUZ 106.7 at Neuroscience Group Field at Fox Cities Stadium. You can pick up a free ticket to this game - or any other Monday home game remaining in the regular season - by purchasing a lunch entrée at either Qdoba location in Appleton (3813 E. Calumet Street or 4343 W. Wisconsin Avenue). The first 500 fans to attend this game will receive set of mini maracas from 106.7 KRUZ.
Monday is also a day for a Baker Tilly Business Person Special. Show your business card when you purchase a ticket and for $13.50 you will receive a box seat ticket, a beverage, and your choice of brat or hot dog. The offer is also available to senior citizens (55 & older) courtesy of WVBO and AM1280 WNAM.
If you can't make it out to the ballpark, tune in for the radio broadcast on AM1280, WNAM or IHeartRadio starting with the Miller Lite Pregame Show at 11:45am. Monday's game is also available to subscribers of MiLB.TV.
HOME RUN:
WIS:
Michael Ratterree (15th, 1 on in 5th inning off Tyler Brunnemann, 2 out)
WP: Zach Quintana (3-4)
LP: Edison Frias (5-5)
TIME: 3:01
ATTN: 3,668