Abreu's Walkoff Double Beats Kane County 3-2

GRAND CHUTE, WI - Pablo Abreu delivered an RBI double in the bottom of the ninth inning to give the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers a 3-2, walk-off victory over the Kane County Cougars on Wednesday night at Neuroscience Group Field.

The Timber Rattlers (67-67 overall, 36-29 second half) took the lead in the bottom of the third inning. Brent Díaz cracked a lead-off homer on a 3-2 pitch and the Rattlers were up 1-0.

Korry Howell started the bottom of the fourth with a single and went to second on an error and third on a wild pitch. Thomas Dillard drew a walk to put runners on the corners. David Fry grounded into a 5-4-3 double play to get Howell home for a 2-0 advantage.

Kane County (76-58, 41-24) cut into the Wisconsin lead in the fifth inning. Buddy Kennedy hit a lead-off homer, his seventh home run of the season, to left to make the score 2-1.

The Rattlers had runners at the corners with one out in the top of the seventh inning after back-to-back singles by Pablo Abreu and Díaz. However, the Rattlers failed to score in the inning and it would cost them.
Kristian Robinson hit a lead-off homer in the top of the eighth inning to tie the game.

The Rattlers also put runners on the corners in the bottom of the eighth inning on consecutive singles by Howell and Dillard with two outs. Both runners were left stranded and the game went to the ninth inning.

Kane County threatened in the top of the ninth inning. Kennedy doubled with two outs against Victor Castaneda and the Rattlers went to Tyler Gillies to get out of the inning. Blaze Alexander sent a high chopper to short. Antonio Piñero fielded the ball cleanly, but had no play at first to get the speedy Alexander. However, Piñero saw that Kennedy had rounded third base too far. Kennedy was eventually out in a rundown between third and home to end the inning and send the game to the bottom of the ninth with the score still tied 2-2.

The score did not stay tied long.

Je'Von Ward, the lead-off hitter in the ninth, singled to start the game-winning rally. Abreu was next and he lined a double to right-center. Ward flew around the bases and scored the winning run without a play on him and the Rattlers celebrated their fifth walkoff win of the season.

In the other game involving a playoff contender, the Clinton LumberKings beat the Burlington Bees 5-0 at Community Field. Clinton is now tied with Kane County for the top spot in the Western Division. The Rattlers trail both Clinton and Kane County by five games. Only two of the three teams can get into the playoffs. Wisconsin has a slim chance of getting to the postseason for the playoffs, but that chance involves Wisconsin winning the rest of their games and Kane County losing the rest of their games. There are five games left in the season.
Game two of the series is Thursday night at Neuroscience Group Field. Antoine Kelly, the second round pick of the Milwaukee Brewers in the 2019 draft, is the scheduled starting pitcher for Wisconsin and will be making his Midwest League debut on Thursday night. Kane County has named Levi Kelly (5-1, 2.15) as their starting pitcher. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05pm.
The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers become the Wisconsin Brats on Thursday night to celebrate their second Bratoberfest of 2019. The Jerry Schneider Band will provide the atmosphere outside the stadium with a pregame performance. Then, players and coaches will wear the Brats jerseys for the final time this season and the jerseys will be up for bid in an on-line auction until 9:00pm CDT at this link.

The first 1,000 fans to attend this game will receive a bobblehead of former Timber Rattlers shortstop Brice Turang, the current #1 prospect in the Milwaukee Brewers organization, courtesy of Pick 'n Save. 

Everyone attending this game may enjoy Cher-Make brats and those of legal drinking age may have a variety of craft brews for $2 as part of a Craft Brews & Brats Night presented by Fox River Brewing Company and 105.7 WAPL.

If you can't make it out to the ballpark, the radio broadcast is on AM1280, WNAM and the TuneIn Radio app starting with the Papa John's Pizza Pregame Show at 6:45pm. MiLB.tv subscribers can watch the game over the internet.