Rattlers Hit a Sour Note in Loss at South Bend
SOUTH BEND, IN – The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers were slow out of the blocks against the South Bend Cubs on Tuesday night at Four Winds Field. The Cubs pounced on some uncharacteristic miscues from the Rattlers and cruised to a 7-1 victory to open the six-game series.
SOUTH BEND, IN – The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers were slow out of the blocks against the South Bend Cubs on Tuesday night at Four Winds Field. The Cubs pounced on some uncharacteristic miscues from the Rattlers and cruised to a 7-1 victory to open the six-game series.
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Chicago Cubs pitcher Drew Smyly retired the Timber Rattlers (26-14) in order in the first three innings with five strikeouts on an MLB rehab start for South Bend.
The Cubs (15-25) took the lead in the bottom of the third inning as they loaded the bases with one out against Wisconsin starting pitcher Mark Manfredi. Pedro Ramirez unloaded the bases with a triple to the gap in right-center for a 3-0 lead.
Wisconsin’s usually stellar defense deserted Manfredi in the fourth inning. An error on first baseman Tayden Hall allowed Reivaj Garcia to reach with one out. Brian Kalmer hit a tailor-made double play ball to Luke Adams, but the third baseman had the ball deflect off his left leg. The ball rolled into the Wisconsin bullpen and by the time it could be retrieved, Garcia had scored.
Casey Opitz was next for the Cubs. He sent a foul pop to the Cubs bullpen in foul territory behind first base. Hall raced back and had the ball pop out of his glove as he tried to make an over the shoulder basket catch. Opitz hit the next pitch over the bleachers in left for a two-run homer and a 6-0 lead.
Wisconsin got on the scoreboard against Aaron Perry in the top of the sixth. Eduarqui Fernández doubled and Dylan O’Rae singled with one out. Jadher Areinamo just missed a three-run homer to left as his deep drive died at the track and was caught for the second out. Fernández tagged and scored on a sacrifice fly.
Reliever Patricio Aquino kept the Cubs in check until Felix Stevens hit a lead-off home run in the bottom of the eighth inning to put South Bend up 7-1. That was the only run Aquino gave up over four innings in relief.
Perry pitched five innings after Smyly left and scattered five hits with a walk to allow one run for his first win of the season.
Yovanny Cabrera gave up a two-out single to Matt Wood in the top of the ninth before closing out the game for South Bend to end their five-game losing streak.
The Timber Rattlers have only committed eight errors over eighteen games in May, but Tuesday was the second consecutive game in which they have committed two errors in a game.
Game two of the series is Wednesday morning at Four Winds Field. The Timber Rattlers have Tate Kuehner (1-1, 4.74) as their scheduled starting pitcher. South Bend has named Nick Hull (1-1, 5.40) as their starter. Game time is 10:05am CDT. The radio broadcast is on AM1280, WNAM starting with the Community Blood Center Pregame Show at 9:45am. The game is also available on the internet and the Bally Live App.