Barrios Completes Wisconsin Comeback with Game-Winning Hit in Ninth
GRAND CHUTE, WI – This win was worth the wait. The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers and Fort Wayne TinCaps waited out a rain delay of nearly an hour at Neuroscience Group Field on Tuesday night. The Timber Rattlers let a 2-0 lead get away from them, but a pair of two-out
GRAND CHUTE, WI – This win was worth the wait. The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers and Fort Wayne TinCaps waited out a rain delay of nearly an hour at Neuroscience Group Field on Tuesday night. The Timber Rattlers let a 2-0 lead get away from them, but a pair of two-out rallies late in the game with Gregory Barrios providing the game-winning hit in the bottom of the ninth sent the Rattlers to a 4-3 win and back into first place in the West Division.
Click here for the scoring plays
Dylan O’Rae walked to open the Wisconsin first inning. He stole second, his 23rd steal of the season. Fort Wayne starting pitcher Enmanuel Pinales threw a wild pitch to move O’Rae to third with no outs. Pinales threw another wild pitch with one out to allow O’Rae to score for a 1-0 lead.
The Rattlers (29-17) added to their lead in the third inning. Jadher Areinamo drew a walk with two outs and stole second. Luke Adams drove in Areinamo with a single to right for a 2-0 advantage.
Fort Wayne (21-25) struggled through the first four innings against Wisconsin starter Patricio Aquino. The right-hander allowed one hit and walked one with three strikeouts while tossing just 46 pitches in the first four frames. That changed in the top of the fifth.
The first two TinCaps singled. Then, Tyler Robertson bunted to reach on a third straight single to load the bases. Aquino hit the next batter to force in a run. Nerwilian Cedeño was down 0-2 in the count before he lined a double down the line in right to score two runs and put Fort Wayne up 3-2.
Craig Yoho relieved Aquino at that point and kept the TinCaps from scoring any additional runs. Yoho got a strikeout for the first out but walked the next batter to reload the bases. The right-handed reliever escaped the jam with a force play at the plate and a flyout to right.
Reliever Joan Gonzalez took over for the TinCaps in the bottom of the fifth inning and shut down the Rattlers offense. He walked one, allowed one hit, and struck out four over three scoreless innings.
Mark Manfredi, Wisconsin’s third pitcher, worked in and out of trouble over four innings. He walked four and allowed two hits, but a pair of Fort Wayne base runners were caught stealing and Manfredi had six strikeouts to keep the Rattlers close.
Mitch Miller took over for Gonzalez in the bottom of the eighth inning to protect the TinCaps one-run lead. Miller retired the first two Rattlers he faced before walking Adams on a 3-2 pitch. Matt Wood fell behind 0-2 before he lined a double off the top of the wall in right field to drive in Adams with the tying run.
NEVER COUNT US OUT. 🔥
— Wisconsin Timber Rattlers (@TimberRattlers) May 29, 2024
TinCaps 3 | Rattlers 3 pic.twitter.com/SyQHLPPQrU
In the bottom of the ninth, Miller walked Jesús Chirinos on four straight pitches with one out. Jheremy Vargas pinch ran for Chirinos and was representing the tying run.
Miller got the second out and thought he had sent the game to extra innings with a strikeout of O’Rae. The pitch was called a ball and O’Rae eventually walked to get Vargas into scoring position.
Barrios was 0-for-4 in the game heading into his at bat in the ninth. Miller got ahead of Barrios with two quick strikes. Then, Barrios blooped a ball into right-center field. Homer Bush Jr raced in from center, but the ball dropped in to allow Vargas to race home with the winning run before joining his teammates in chasing down Barrios to celebrate the victory.
WALK-OFF WIN to regain first place in the division! 🚨🔥 #tratnation pic.twitter.com/0AUg0wIyFc
— Wisconsin Timber Rattlers (@TimberRattlers) May 29, 2024
Wisconsin entered Tuesday’s game one-half game behind the Cedar Rapids Kernels in the first-half West Division playoff race. The Kernels lost 8-2 at home to the Lake County Captains on Tuesday. Cedar Rapids dropped their record to 28-17 with the Rattlers moving one-half game up on Cedar Rapids. There are twenty games remaining in the first half of the season.
Game two of the series is Wednesday afternoon at Neuroscience Group Field. Tate Kuehner (2-1, 2,75) is the scheduled starting pitcher for the Timber Rattlers. Jagger Haynes (1-3, 5.67) is set to start for the TinCaps. Game time is 12:10pm.
Wednesday afternoon is STEM Day presented by Mathnasium. Science, Technology, Education, and Mathematics careers are rewarding in so many ways. Kids are invited to enjoy a great day at the ballpark to learn about STEM while they cheer on the Timber Rattlers. Fans age 55 and older may purchase a Silver Foxes Special for this game. That is a box seat ticket, a Timber Rattlers baseball cap, a beverage, and a brat or hot dog for $25 courtesy of Network Health and 103.9 WVBO. This offer is available online through this link and using coupon code “FOX”. Fans may order in person at the Box Office or over the phone (920) 733-4152, too. The Silver Foxes Special is also available to active and retired military personnel.
If you can’t make it out to the ballpark, there are several ways to follow the action. The game will be broadcast on tv-32 starting at noon. The radio broadcast is on AM1280, WNAM starting with the Community Blood Center Pregame Show at 11:50am. The game is also available on the internet and the Bally Live App.