(TIMBER RATTLERS) GRAND CHUTE, WI – Hedbert Pérez gave the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers the lead twice before putting the game away with a grand slam home run in a 7-1 victory over the Quad Cities River Bandits on Friday night at Neuroscience Group Field. The Rattlers designated hitter hit a pair of homers and drove in six runs to even the series with the division leaders at two win each.
Pérez, who was placed in the lead-off spot for the first time since May 18, demolished a 2-2 pitch from Quad Cities starter Felix Arronde for a 423-foot, lead-off homer to give Wisconsin (36-36 overall, 2-5 second half) a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning.
Quad Cities (43-30, 4-3) had a runner at third with no outs in the top of the fifth inning against Wisconsin starting pitcher Ryan Birchard after a walk, stolen base, and wild pitch got Derlin Figueroa to third. Birchard responded with two strikeouts and a popup to maintain the lead.
The River Bandits would break through against Birchard in the sixth inning. Daniel Vazquez started the inning with a double. Callan Moss, the Midwest League leader in RBI, followed with an RBI single to tie the game. Birchard got the first out of the inning before turning the game over to Jesús Broca.
Broca was a little shaky to start with a walk and an infield single to load the bases before he got Derlin Figueroa to ground into a 6-4-3 double play to end the inning.
In the seventh, Broca committed a balk with runners at first and second with two outs. He escaped the inning with the score still tied on a grounder to second.
Kay-Lan Nicasia tripled with one out in the bottom of the eighth inning to bring Pérez back to the plate with the infield playing in to get the out at the plate. Pérez singled through the infield to score Nicasia for the 2-1 lead. Later in the seventh, Marco Dinges singled home Pérez for a 3-1 lead.
Wisconsin put the game away in the bottom of the eighth. Juan Baez doubled, and Tayden Hall walked. Daniel Guilarte moved the runners into scoring position with the Rattlers first sacrifice bunt of the season. Nicasia was hit by the next pitch to load the bases for Pérez.
Three pitches after that Quad Cities reliever Tyler Davis hung a 2-0 pitch and Pérez hit it past The 380 Landing beyond the wall in right for a grand slam and a 7-1 lead.
That was the third slam of the season for the Timber Rattlers. They have hit two of them against the River Bandits.
Pérez was named the Midwest League Player of the Week on May 19 after his performance in a series at South Bend. However, he was injured stealing second base in a game against Peoria on May 27. Tonight was just the ninth game he has played – and only the second time he has played in consecutive games – since May 27.
Game five of the series is Saturday night at Neuroscience Group Field. Jaron DeBerry (2-1, 4.26) is the scheduled starting pitcher for the Timber Rattlers. Drew Beam (4-6, 3.03) has been named the starting pitcher for the River Bandits. Game time is 6:40pm.
Saturday is game three of Udder Tuggers Weekend with an Udder Tugger Baseball Cap from Ever.Ag for the first 1,000 fans through the gates. All in attendance can enjoy a post-game fireworks show from Ever.Ag with children twelve and under allowed to run the bases courtesy of Meijer after the fireworks.
Players and coaches are wearing their one-of-a-kind Udder Tuggers jerseys for this game, too. The jerseys are available in online auctions at this link. Both auctions end on Sunday, June 29 with one auction ending at 6:30pm and the other auction ending at 7:00pm. Proceeds from the auctions go to Timber Rattlers Give Back, the official 501(c)3 of the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers.
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