Rudy & Herrera Turn In Stellar Pitching Performances for Rattlers Victory

GRAND CHUTE, WI – The Great Lakes Loons scored fifteen runs on 26 hits in winning the first two games of their series with the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers at Neuroscience Group Field at Fox Cities Stadium this week. Wisconsin pitchers Will Rudy and Yujanyer Herrera made sure the Loons offense never got up a head of steam on Thursday night in the Rattlers 4-1 victory. Rudy and Herrera combined to strike out eleven with no walks and only allowed two hits to the powerful Great Lakes lineup.

Click here for the Postgame Podcast with comments from
Will Rudy, Yujanyer Herrera, and Victor Estevez

Click here for the boxscore

Click here for the scoring plays

Wisconsin (16-8) loaded the bases against Great Lakes starter Peter Heubeck with one out in the first inning on a walk, a single, and another walk. Matt Wood got the first run of the game home on a fielder’s choice and the Rattlers had a 1-0 lead.

In the bottom of the third, Luis Lara singled and stole second to start the frame. Wood knocked in Lara with a two-out single for the 2-0 lead.

The Rattlers doubled their lead with two runs in the bottom of the fifth inning. Gregory Barrios walked, went to second on a pickoff attempt that got away, and took third on a passed ball. Luke Adams would walk to put runners on the corners. Then, the duo pulled a double steal with Adams drawing a throw to second and Barrios beating the return throw to the plate. Eduarqui Fernández padded the lead moments later with a triple to right to score Adams for the 4-0 advantage.

Fernandez flying around 2nd for an RBI triple! ⚡️

Bot 5th
T-Rats 4 | Loons 0#TRatNation pic.twitter.com/0qyzhlEbhe

— Wisconsin Timber Rattlers (@TimberRattlers) May 3, 2024

Rudy retired the first sixteen batters he faced and only went to a three-ball count on an opposing batter twice.

Luis Rodriguez got the first hit for the Loons on a single up the middle with one out in the sixth. Great Lakes (16-8) got on the board with a two-out, RBI triple by Alex Freeland. Rudy retired Noah Miller for the final out of the sixth to turn the game over the bullpen after he made 67 pitches (50 strikes) over six excellent innings. This game marked the third time in his pro career for Rudy to pitch six innings in a game.

Herrera, who had been called up from the Carolina Mudcats on Tuesday, entered the game from the Wisconsin bullpen to start the top of the seventh inning. Herrera didn’t just close out the game. He slammed the door on the Loons and their eight-game winning streak. Herrera retired all nine Great Lakes hitters he faced and struck out five, including the side in order in the top of the ninth, to record a save in his Timber Rattlers debut.

First game as a T-Rat ➡️ First save

Sign up here for a chance to win a T-Rats cooler stool presented by East Wisconsin Savings Bank.https://t.co/U3KPE13M0I#tratnation pic.twitter.com/SSH2RyQdbn

— Wisconsin Timber Rattlers (@TimberRattlers) May 3, 2024

Barrios, who singled in the first inning for Wisconsin, extended his hitting streak to seven games, the longest hitting streak by a Rattler this season.

The Timber Rattlers also stole seven bases in eight attempts during Thursday’s game. They are 14-for-15 in stolen base attempts in the first three games of the series with the Loons.

Game four of the series is Friday night. Brian Fitzpatrick (2-0, 2.77) is the scheduled starting pitcher for the Timber Rattlers. The Loons have named Maddux Bruns (0-0, 5.40) as their starter. Game time is 6:40pm.

Children twelve and under may run the bases courtesy of Menasha Corporation and 95.9 KISS-FM after the Rattlers and Loons finish the game.

If you can’t make it out to the ballpark, there are several ways to follow the action. The game will be televised on tv-32 starting at 6:30pm. The radio broadcast is on AM1280, WNAM starting with the Community Blood Center Pregame Show at 6:20pm. Fans can also listen to the audio on the internet or watch the game on the Bally Live App.