Wisconsin wins third straight
GRAND CHUTE, WI - The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers used a fast start and five solid innings from Jorge Lopez to defeat the Beloit Snappers 8-5 on Tuesday afternoon at Time Warner Cable Field at Fox Cities Stadium. The win was the third straight victory for the Rattlers.
Beloit (65-49 overall, 22-22 second half) had the first good scoring chance. They put their first two batters of the game on base. But, Lopez stranded both runners with a strikeout, a fly ball to right, and another strikeout.
The Wisconsin offense went to work right away against Beloit starting pitcher Andres Avila. Consecutive singles by Lance Roenicke, Michael Reed, and Mike Garza loaded the bases with no outs in the bottom of the first. Victor Roache drove in Roenicke with a sacrifice fly for a 1-0 lead. Garrett Cooper followed win an RBI single. Max Walla drew a walk to reload the bases.
Orlando Arcia was next and he blooped a two-run double to left field. Tyler Roberts followed with another two-run double and the Rattlers (48-61, 19-25) were up 6-0.
Beloit got on the scoreboard with a solo home run by Renato Nunez in the top of the fourth inning. That was the only run Lopez allowed in his five innings.
Wisconsin tacked on runs in the fourth and sixth innings to push their lead out to 8-1. Reed scored from third on a passed ball in the fourth. Cooper drove in Reed with a ground rule double in the sixth.
Lopez was touched for three hits, walked two, and struck out three before turning the game over to the bullpen.
Hobbs Johnson, the 14th round pick of the Milwaukee in the 2013 draft, worked a scoreless sixth. But, the Snappers loaded the bases with one out on a walk, a single, and a hit batsman. Aaron Shipman singled to knock in the run that cut the Wisconsin lead to six runs. Johnson came back to end the inning with a strikeout and a flyout.
Beloit picked up a run in the eighth inning off Jono Armold on an RBI single by Ryan Delgado.
In the ninth, the Snappers loaded the bases with one out against Armold. The Rattlers reliever got the second out with a strikeout, but walked Matt Olson on a 3-2 pitch to force in a run. Then, Ryan Mathews singled on an 0-2 pitch to drive in a run and the Snappers had pulled within 8-5 with the bases loaded and Delgado at the plate. But, Armold ended the game by getting Delgado to fly out to Reed in right-center.
Reed went 3-for-4 with a walk and three runs scored to pace the Rattlers offense. Reed is now on a twelve game hitting streak and is 21-for-52 (.404) during this streak.
The Timber Rattlers hit the road on Wednesday night to take on the Peoria Chiefs at Dozer Park. Austin Ross (0-0, 5.84) is the scheduled starting pitcher for Wisconsin. Chris Perry (1-1, 3.04) is the scheduled starter for the Chiefs. Game time is 7:00pm. Tune in for the broadcast on AM1280, WNAM or IHeartRadio starting with the Miller Lite Pregame Show at 6:40pm.
HOME RUN:
BEL:
Renato Nunez (18th, 0 on in 4th inning, 0 out)
WP: Jorge Lopez (5-6)
LP: Andres Avila (4-3)
TIME: 3:01
ATTN: 3,928