(TIMBER RATTLERS) MIDLAND, MI – The Great Lakes Loons were, well, great with two outs on Saturday night against the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers at Dow Diamond. The Loons scored eight runs with two outs to defeat Wisconsin 9-2. Additionally, four Loons pitchers combined to strike out seventeen Rattlers while holding them to five hits in the game.
Great Lakes (32-30) took the lead in the bottom of the first inning. Josue DePaula reached on a walk with one out and went to second on a passed ball. Mike Sirota drove in DePaula with a single.
Tayden Hall tied the game in the top of the second inning with a two-out, solo home run, his first homer of the season.
The Loons had two on with two out in the bottom of the second with Frank Rodriguez, their ninth hitter in the order at the plate. Wisconsin starting pitcher Sam Garcia had two strikes on Rodriguez, but a catcher’s interference loaded the bases. Kendall George made the Rattlers pay with a bloop single to left that scored two runs.
In the bottom of the third, Jake Gelof doubled to left to score two runs for a 5-1 lead. A walk to the next batter brought Rodriguez back to the plate and he doubled to score two more runs.
Great Lakes wasn’t done with two-out, two-run hits. George stepped to the plate with runners at second and third with two away in the fifth inning. George singled to center to score both runners for a 9-1 advantage.
Eduardo Garcia provided one late highlight for the Timber Rattlers (32-20). The Wisconsin outfielder, who had extended his on-base streak to 25 games when he was hit by a pitch in the second inning, launched a lead-off home run in the top of the seventh inning. Garcia has eleven home runs this season. He has also tied teammate Blake Burke for the longest on-base streak in the Midwest League this season.
Sean Linan, the Loons starting pitcher, had seven strikeouts over 4-2/3 innings. Wyatt Crowell, the winning pitcher, had seven strikeouts for Great Lakes in three innings.
Also, with the Cedar Rapids Kernels and Quad Cities River Bandits winning their games on Saturday, Wisconsin has been officially eliminated from first-half playoff contention in the Midwest League’s West Division. The Timber Rattlers will need to win the second half title to make a return trip to the postseason.
The series finale is Sunday afternoon at Dow Diamond. Ryan Birchard (2-3, 4.08) is the scheduled starting pitcher for the Timber Rattlers. Brooks Auger (2-4, 5.74) is set to start for the Loons. Game time is 12:05pm CDT.
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