Great Lakes Scores Late to Beat Wisconsin
GRAND CHUTE, WI – The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers got out to a fast start, but the Great Lakes Loons caught Wisconsin in the middle innings and scored two late runs to edge the Rattlers 5-3 in the series finale at Neuroscience Group Field at Fox Cities Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
GRAND CHUTE, WI – The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers got out to a fast start, but the Great Lakes Loons caught Wisconsin in the middle innings and scored two late runs to edge the Rattlers 5-3 in the series finale at Neuroscience Group Field at Fox Cities Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
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Click here for the scoring plays
Both teams had lead-off doubles in the first inning.
Alex Freeland started the Loons half of the first with a double and he went to third on a wild pitch with one out. Wisconsin starting pitcher Edwin Jimenez stranded Freeland at third when he struck out the final two batters of the inning.
Luis Lara doubled to start the Wisconsin first. Dylan O’Rae sent a grounder to third with one out, but the throw to first was wild. Lara scored and O’Rae went to second on the play. Jadher Areinamo added to the lead with a two-out, RBI single to center.
The Timber Rattlers (17-10) have outscored opponents 33-14 in the first inning this season.
Jimenez retired twelve straight Loons after the double by Freeland. Chris Newell snapped that streak and the shutout with a long home run to right to start the top of the fifth inning. The home run was Newell’s sixth of the season. It was also the eighth home run by the Loons in the series.
Ramόn Rodríguez just missed a home run to start the Wisconsin half of the fifth. The Rattlers catcher cracked a double off the very top of the wall by the Great Lakes bullpen. O’Rae cashed in the opportunity with a two-out hit to left for a 3-1 lead.
O'Rae slices one to left to bring in another Rattlers run!
— Wisconsin Timber Rattlers (@TimberRattlers) May 5, 2024
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T-Rats 3 | Loons 1#TRatNation pic.twitter.com/JQCh6RRDFx
The Loons (18-9) got Jimenez in trouble right away in the top of the sixth inning. Jake Vogel singled and Freeland followed with an RBI double. Jimenez got the first out of the inning on a grounder to the right side of the infield that allowed Vogel to take second. Then, Thayron Liranzo drew a walk to put runners on the corners.
Kyle Nevin hit a deep drive to center and Lara made a great running catch for the second out. However, Vogel was able to tag and score from third to tie the game on the play.
The eighth inning was a roller coaster for both teams.
In the top of the eighth, Jake Vogel started the frame with a double but was thrown out trying to steal third base for the first out. Wisconsin reliever Chase Costello walked the next two batters, including a close 3-2 pitch that was called a ball to Noah Miller. Liranzo blooped the next pitch to left for an RBI single and the Loons had their first lead of the game.
Locked in.
— Wisconsin Timber Rattlers (@TimberRattlers) May 5, 2024
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T-Rats 3 | Loons 3#TRatNation pic.twitter.com/VhwVdigQzY
In the bottom of the eighth, the first two Rattlers reached base. Gregory Barrios started with a single and Dylan O’Rae followed with a walk to put the tying and lead runs on base against reliever Christian Suarez.
Suarez ran the count full to Luke Adams, who grounded into a 6-4-3 double play. Suarez got Areinamo to end the inning and strand Barrios at third with the tying run.
The Loons added an insurance run on the top of the ninth against Stiven Cruz and it was Freeland…again. The Loons lead-off hitter singled with two outs for the run to give Great Lakes a 5-3 lead.
Lucas Wepf set down the Rattlers in order in the ninth for his second save of the series.
Freeland was 3-for-4 with a walk, a stolen base, two doubles, two runs scored, and two RBI for the Loons. Great Lakes won four of the six games in the series to hand Wisconsin its first series loss of 2024.
The Timber Rattlers are off on Monday. They return to action on Tuesday with a series against the Quad Cities River Bandits at Modern Woodmen Park in Davenport, Iowa. Wisconsin and Quad Cities are both 17-9 and tied at the top of the Midwest League’s West Division entering the six-game set.
Tate Kuehner (0-1, 7.36) is the scheduled starting pitcher for Wisconsin on Tuesday. The River Bandits have not announced their starter. Game time is 6:30pm. The radio broadcast is on AM1280, WNAM starting with the Community Blood Center Pregame Show at 6:10pm. Fans can also listen to the audio on the internet or watch the game on the Bally Live App.