Misiorowski Dazzles in Timber Rattlers Debut
COMSTOCK PARK, MI – Jacob Misiorowski made the most of his first appearance as a Wisconsin Timber Rattlers. The #4 prospect in the Milwaukee Brewers minor league system retired the first twelve West Michigan Whitecaps he faced and allowed just an unearned run over 5-1/3 innings with seven strikeouts to
COMSTOCK PARK, MI – Jacob Misiorowski made the most of his first appearance as a Wisconsin Timber Rattlers. The #4 prospect in the Milwaukee Brewers minor league system retired the first twelve West Michigan Whitecaps he faced and allowed just an unearned run over 5-1/3 innings with seven strikeouts to pick up a win in Wisconsin’s 4-1 victory over the Caps on Thursday night at LMCU Ballpark.
Misiorowski announced his presence with authority in the first inning with two strikeouts, including getting Jace Jung, the #2 prospect in the Detroit Tigers system, to swing and miss at a 101-mph pitch for strike three to end the inning.
West Michigan (28-26) didn’t get their first hit until Roberto Campos started the fifth inning with a single. He was quickly erased on a double play. Misiorowski hit the next batter before striking out Austin Murr to end the inning and record his seventh strikeout of the game.
Video evidence of the previously mentioned absurdity: https://t.co/TsAMUu06JA pic.twitter.com/5PWWuDFQc4
— Minor League Baseball (@MiLB) June 9, 2023
The Timber Rattlers offense had trouble getting started against two Whitecaps pitchers as they had just two hits through five innings.
Wisconsin (21-32) broke the seal on the scoreboard in the top of the sixth inning. Robert Moore worked an eleven-pitch plate appearance to coax a walk with one out. Matt Wood followed with a single, his second hit of the game. Joe Gray Jr was next. He doubled down the third base line.
Moore scored on the play, but Wood was thrown out at the plate. Gray was trying to take third on the throw home and catcher Josh Crouch tried to get him after the tag on Wood. The throw from Crouch sailed into left and Gray trotted home with the run to make it 2-0.
Misiorowski issued a lead-off walk in the bottom of the sixth. He got the first out on a fly out to right. Izaac Pacheco sent a grounder wide of the bag at first. Alex Hall ranged off the bag to field the ball but threw wildly to second and the Whitecaps had runners at the corners. That was the end of the night for Misiorowski. He finished the night with 76 pitches and 49 of those were for strikes.
Max Lazar entered the game out of the Wisconsin bullpen and gave up an RBI single to Justice Bigbie before getting the final two outs in the inning to keep the Rattlers up 2-1.
The Rattlers delivered a pair of two-out, RBI singles in the top of the seventh to grab some insurance. Hall had the first. Moore singled to score Hall a few batters later for the 4-1 lead.
Lazar returned to the mound and allowed just one hit over the final three innings to close out the game for his second save of the season.
The win was the third straight for the Timber Rattlers. Wisconsin has won ten of their last fifteen games.
The Whitecaps were the best hitting team in the Midwest League with a team batting average of .256 and a team OPS of .757. Misiorowski and Lazar held West Michigan to three hits, all singles.
Game four of the series is Friday night at LMCU Ballpark. Stiven Cruz (2-4, 5.90) is the scheduled starting pitcher for the Timber Rattlers. West Michigan is going with Tarik Skubal, who will be making a rehabilitation start working his way back to the Detroit Tigers. Game time is 5:35pm CDT. The broadcast is on AM1280 WNAM starting with the Community Blood Center at 5:15pm. Fans can listen on the radio, on the First Pitch app, or at this link. The internet video feed is available to subscribers of Bally Live, too.