Dragons Drop Rattlers 5-3
GRAND CHUTE, WI – The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers bats were up early and late on Saturday night against the Dayton Dragons at Neuroscience Group Field at Fox Cities Stadium. However, it wasn’t enough as the Dragons came back from an early deficit and held on for a 5-3 victory over
GRAND CHUTE, WI – The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers bats were up early and late on Saturday night against the Dayton Dragons at Neuroscience Group Field at Fox Cities Stadium. However, it wasn’t enough as the Dragons came back from an early deficit and held on for a 5-3 victory over the Rattlers.
Wisconsin (20-21 second half, 46-59 overall) grabbed the lead with two runs in the bottom of the first inning. Robert Moore, Mike Boeve, and Brock Wilken started the inning with three consecutive singles. Wilken’s single knocked in Moore with the first run of the game. Hendry Mendez singled with two outs to score Boeve.
The Dragons (23-18, 56-51) responded in the top of the second inning courtesy of Austin Hendrick, who doubled, stole third, and scored on an error.
In the top of the third, Jack Rogers had an RBI double to tie the game. Rogers has seven RBI in the first five games of this series.
The Timber Ratters had a chance to take the lead in the bottom of the third. Wilken tripled to start the inning, but he was left stranded after a grounder to second with the infielders on the grass, a shallow flyout to left, a walk, and another groundout.
Seeing triple?!? #TratNation #TRIPLESONLY pic.twitter.com/qWASQrNLof
— Wisconsin Timber Rattlers (@TimberRattlers) August 13, 2023
Dayton took the lead in the top of the fourth. Tyler Callihan doubled and stole third to start the inning against Bradley Blalock. The Rattlers starting pitcher nearly got out of the inning, but Edwin Arroyo tripled with two outs to score Callihan for a 3-2 lead. Arroyo, who was 3-for-5 and was only missing a home run for the cycle on Saturday night, is 17-for-43 against the Timber Rattlers this season.
Terence Doston got a rally started for Wisconsin in the bottom of the fourth inning with a one-out walk. He moved to second on a ground out. Boeve drove in Doston with single to right to even the score again.
Mat Nelson put the Dragons right back on top in their half of the sixth inning. Mat Nelson hit a solo homer to center, his sixteenth home run of the season, with one out to give Dayton the 4-3 advantage.
Cade Hunter drew a lead-off walk in the seventh. He was the sixth Dayton batter to lead off an inning by reaching base. A wild pitch sent Hunter to second and a flyout got him to third with one out. Wisconsin reliever Sam Gardner got the second out with a strikeout. However, Justice Thompson added the insurance run with a single up the middle on a 1-2 pitch.
Wisconsin’s offense was held in check by reliever John Murphy through the middle innings. Murphy got the final out of the bottom of the fourth inning and proceeded to retire the Rattlers in order in the fifth, sixth, and seventh innings as he racked up five strikeouts.
Owen Holt ran the streak to thirteen straight Wisconsin batters retired as he worked a perfect eighth inning with two more strikeouts. Then, the Rattlers made it interesting in the ninth.
Ben Metzinger drew a lead-off walk. Jheremy Vargas followed with a bloop single to center. Suddenly, the Rattlers had the tying runs on base – in the form of pinch runners Je’Von Ward and Jose Acosta – and the winning run at the plate with no outs in the ninth.
Holt regrouped to close out the game with a strikeout and two popouts to secure his second save of the season and Dayton’s third win of the series.
Dayton had the lead-off man on base in seven of the nine innings to keep the pressure on the Timber Rattlers. The Dragons were just 2-for-18 with runners in scoring position, but they also had seven extra-base hits out of their eleven in the game. Wisconsin had six singles and a triple with just one hit coming after the fourth inning.
The series finale is Sunday afternoon at Neuroscience Group Field at Fox Cities Stadium. Edwin Jimenez (3-4, 4.65) is the scheduled starting pitcher for the Timber Rattlers. Carson Rudd (4-4, 4.62) is set to start for the Dragons. Game time is 1:10pm CDT.
The first 1,000 fans to attend this game will receive a bobblehead of Brandon Woodruff that commemorates his rehab start with the Rattlers in 2022 courtesy of Heartland Label Printers. Two-time National League All-Star Corey Hart will be at the stadium to meet with fans and throw out a ceremonial first pitch as part of Brewers Sunday from 107.5, The Fan. Plus, Wisconsin players and coaches put on their Brewers Sunday jerseys and hats for the game. Fans will be allowed on the outfield from noon to 12:30pm to play catch prior to this game courtesy of Bug Tussel. Players will be available for an autograph session with the fans after the game.
If you can’t make it to the ballpark, the broadcast on AM1280, WNAM starts with the Community Blood Center Pregame Show at 12:50pm. Fans can listen on the radio, on the First Pitch app, or at this link.