Cedar Rapids Stops Wisconsin

GRAND CHUTE, WI – The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers longest winning streak in eleven years and their playoff hopes ran into the Cedar Rapids Kernels on Tuesday night at Neuroscience Group Field at Fox Cities Stadium. It was the Kernels, the team with the best record in the Midwest League, coming out with a 6-3 win that ended Wisconsin’s eight-game win streak and all but snuffed out Wisconsin’s playoff chances.

Click here for the boxscore

Kala’i Rosario put the Kernels (81-46 overall, 41-20 second half) in front in the top of the first inning with a two-run home run to left. The homer was Rosario’s twentieth of the season. It was also his seventh of the year against the Timber Rattlers.

Wisconsin (58-67, 32-29) came back to tie the game in the bottom of the first. Eric Brown Jr and Luis Lara singled with Brock Wilken drawing a walk to load the bases. Hendry Mendez blooped in a single to score Brown. Robert Moore grounded into a 4-6-3 double play to get Lara home with the tying run.

Hendry Mendez with a clutch bases-loaded knock in the bottom of the 1st. 👏

End 1: 🌽2⃣ 🐍2⃣ #tratnation pic.twitter.com/8U3Bnmqqqr

— Wisconsin Timber Rattlers (@TimberRattlers) September 6, 2023

Kyler Fedko put the Kernels back in the lead with a lead-off home run in the top of the third inning. Fedko has hit three of his six home runs this season against the Timber Rattlers. Cedar Rapids has hit 132 homers on the season with 21 coming in nineteen games against the Rattlers.

Later in the frame, two walks and an error led to another run. Jorel Ortega made it 5-2 in favor of Cedar Rapids with a sacrifice fly to put a cap on the inning.

The Rattlers got singles from Brock Wilken and Robert Moore to set up the bottom of the third. Matt Wood singled to drive in Wilken. The Timber Rattlers would leave the bases loaded in the third and strand a runner at third in fourth inning. Wisconsin would go 2-for-11 with runners in scoring position on Tuesday night.

Cedar Rapids pushed the lead back out to three runs right away in the fifth. Fedko walked and Noah Miller doubled to left-center to knock in the run for a 6-3 advantage. The game would stay that score to the end as the Rattlers only got one runner to second base over the final five innings. That runner was Lara, who doubled with two outs in the sixth inning, but rounded second too far and was thrown out trying to get back to second for the final out of the frame.

The Timber Rattlers collected twelve hits in the game, but eleven were singles. The Kernels had seven hits, but six of their hits went for extra bases while they also took advantage of eight walks by Wisconsin pitchers.

In the second half playoff chase, the Peoria Chiefs lost 6-3 at home to the Beloit Sky Carp to open the door just a little bit for the Timber Rattlers. However, the Wisconsin loss dropped Peoria’s magic number to two with five games left in the season.

Game two of the series between Wisconsin and Cedar Rapids is Wednesday afternoon. Aaron Ashby is scheduled to make the start for the Timber Rattlers for the second game of his MLB rehabilitation assignment. Cory Lewis (4-1, 2.53) is set to start for the Kernels. Game time is 12:10pm.

Wednesday features the Silver Foxes Special presented by Network Health. Fans age 55 and older receive a box seat ticket, a Reversible Bucket Hat, a beverage, and a brat or hot dog for $25 courtesy of Network Health. Fans may order the Silver Foxes Special in person at the Box Office or over the phone (920) 733-4152. The Silver Foxes Special is also available to active and retired military personnel.

If you can’t make it out to the ballpark, the radio broadcast is on AM1280, WNAM starting with the Community Blood Center Pregame show at11:50am. Fans can listen on the radio, on the First Pitch app, or at this link.