Link Report for Sat. 9/8 -- Rattlers Roll in Round Two Opener, 9-1

[Mass Haas]

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[Mass Haas]

Saturday's Daily Menu:

 

Time listed is Central

 

Wisconsin: RHP Chad Thompson at Clinton (Mariners), 6:10 PM pre-game, 6:30 gametime; first game of the second round best-of-three, series moves to Appleton Sunday night

 

Free Live Audio Link - 1280 AM WNAM

 

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Follow the action as it happens with box score / game log links:

 

Wisconsin

 

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Check the Rattler Radio blog for the media notes just prior to gametime

[Mass Haas]

AUDIO: Pre-Game Interview w/ OF Logan Schafer

 

Happy 26th birthday today (Saturday), Logan!

[Mass Haas]

'Rattler Radio' has a brief look at the regular season series between the Rattlers and the LumberKings

[trwi7]

Was Rusty Shellhorn in that name tournament on MILB.com? If he wasn't, he should've been.

[trwi7]

4 run 4th gives the T-Rats a 4-1 lead! Thompson with 8 K's through 4 innings.

[Mass Haas]

We didn't read much about him this year (surprising given all the Rattler media coverage), but this seems to have been an excellent hire this past winter.

[TheCrew07]

Gotta love this T-Rat pitching the last 3 games, my goodness, and now a 5 run 5th as I look at the box score again. Hopefully Chad continues to put zeros on the board.

[TheCrew07]

We didn't read much about him this year (surprising given all the Rattler media coverage), but this seems to have been an excellent hire this past winter.

 

He was an intriguing hire coming from Texas who's been about as progressive as it gets trying to develop pitching. There are a couple of other organizations I'd like to pilfer a coach or 2 from as well like San Fran and ATL, teams that traditionally have found a way to identify and develop pitching.

 

I know Hanson has kind of stalled out as a 2/3, Minor has a had rough season, and Teheran was all over the place from start to start for the Braves in the minors, but there's a quite a bit to like that about that organization as well. Heck, just identifying and signing Beachy for only $20k puts them at the top of the list. As far as the Giants go it should be self explanatory given what they've done with pitching and their MLB rotation. I'm not sure the coaching is as good for the Rays (they draft so many upside arms every year) as the other teams, but given their run of HS arms I'm intrigued by them as well.

[Mass Haas]

Via Adam McCalvy:

 

Ron Roenicke spoke Saturday morning with his son, Lance, whose Class A Wisconsin club advanced to the Midwest League semifinals on Friday night. Lance Roenicke has been limited to pinch-running duties because of wrist and shoulder injuries.

[bkrause2]

Final: Wisconsin 9, Clinton 1

 

Offense takes their turn to shine

Rattlers beat Clinton 9-1 to take 1-0 lead in Western Division Finals

By Chris Mehring / Wisconsin Timber Rattlers

 

CLINTON, IA - After two straight complete game shutouts by Wisconsin Timber Rattlers pitchers to close out the Burlington Bees in the first round of the Midwest League playoffs, the Wisconsin offense took over in Game One of the Western Division Finals at Clinton. The Rattlers defeated the LumberKings 9-1 behind a twelve hit attack that included consecutive home runs in the fourth inning.

 

Dan Paolini put the LumberKings in front in the bottom of the first inning. Paolini, who hit eighteen homers in the regular season, cracked a 2-1 pitch from Rattlers starting pitcher Chad Thompson to left-center for a solo homer and a 1-0 lead.

 

It took Wisconsin's bats a few innings to find the range on Clinton starting pitcher Rusty Shellhorn, but once they did, the barrage was impressive.

 

Ben McMahan began the Rattlers first extended rally with a one out single in the fourth inning. Then, Nick Ramirez was hit by a pitch to set the stage for Yadiel Rivera. The Rattlers shortstop lined a 1-0 pitch from the Clinton left-hander over the wall in left for a three-run homer and a 3-1 lead. Mike Garza followed by crushing an 0-2 pitch deep into the night. The back-to-back homers gave Wisconsin a 4-1 advantage.

 

Wisconsin really got going in the fifth inning as they strung together six consecutive hits and scored five runs. Brandon Macias doubled with one out and Chadwin Stang's infield single placed runners on first and third. McMahan doubled in Macias. Then, Ramirez doubled to drive in two more runs to knock Shellhorn out of the game.

 

Rivera greeted reliever Josh Corrales to the game with an RBI single. Garza would single to complete the streak of six straight hits. Corrales got the second out of the inning. Then, Rafael Neda picked up an RBI single to make it 9-1.

 

Thompson cruised after giving up the homer to Paolini in the first inning. He tossed six innings and struck out ten, a professional single game high. At one point in the game, Thompson struck out six straight LumberKings. In the third inning, Thompson struck out the side on nine pitches. It doesn't get much better than that.

 

Stosh Wawrzasek struck out four in two scoreless innings and Santo Manzanillo picked up two strikeouts in a 1-2-3 ninth inning to close out the LumberKings. The trio of Rattlers pitchers struck out sixteen Clinton batters in the game.

 

The Timber Rattlers have a 1-0 lead in the best-of-three series. A win in either Game Two or Game Three will send the Timber Rattlers to the Midwest League Finals for the fourth time in team history.

 

Game Two of the Western Division Finals is Sunday at Time Warner Cable Field at Fox Cities Stadium. Mark Williams (7-10, 3.88) is the scheduled starting pitcher for the Timber Rattlers. Seon-Gi Kim (4-4, 4.59) is set to start for the LumberKings. Game time is 7:05pm.

 

Sunday night is a Bang for Your Buck Night with soda, hotdogs, and beer for $1. Sunday is also a College Night with reserved seat bleacher tickets available for $1 when fans show a college ID at the ticket window.

 

If you can't make it out to the ballpark, tune in for the broadcast on AM1280, WNAM or timberrattlers.com starting with the Miller Lite Pregame Show at 6:45pm. Sunday's game is available to subscribers of MiLB.TV, too.

 

HOME RUNS:

WIS:

Yadiel Rivera (1st, 2 on in 4th inning off Rusty Shellhorn, 1 out)

Mike Garza (1st, 0 on in 4th inning off Rusty Shellhorn, 1 out)

 

CLN:

Dan Paolini (1st, 1st inning off Chad Thompson, 1 out)

 

WP: Chad Thompson (1-0)

LP: Rusty Shellhorn (0-1)

 

TIME: 2:38

 

Wisconsin Box Score

 

Rattlers pitching continued to roll, and this time the offense behind them was just as hot. Chad Thompson started and went six innings, allowing just one run. He struck out 10 LumberKings batters. Stosh Wawrzasek relieved him in the seventh and tossed two scoreless. Santo Manzanillo worked a clean ninth, striking out two. Yadiel Rivera led the Rattlers offensive outburst, going 2-5 with 4 RBI including that big fourth inning home run to get things going. Mike Garza also went 2-5 with a home run. Nick Ramirez was on base four times with a double and a walk and was hit by pitch twice. Ben McMahan, Chadwin Stang and Rafael Neda all chipped in two hits as part of Wisconsin's 12 hit attack.

 

Wisconsin Play By Play

 

Wisconsin Top of the 4th

Chadwin Stang lines out to third baseman Ramon Morla.

Ben McMahan singles on a line drive to left fielder Kevin Rivers.

Nick Ramirez hit by pitch. Ben McMahan to 2nd.

Yadiel Rivera homers (1) on a fly ball to left field. Ben McMahan scores. Nick Ramirez scores.

Mike Garza homers (1) on a fly ball to left field.

Carlos George strikes out swinging.

Rafael Neda lines out to first baseman Ji-Man Choi.

 

Wisconsin Top of the 5th

Adrian Williams called out on strikes.

Brandon Macias doubles (1) on a line drive to center fielder Jamal Austin.

Chadwin Stang singles on a ground ball to shortstop Bryan Brito. Brandon Macias to 3rd.

Ben McMahan doubles (1) on a fly ball to center fielder Jamal Austin. Brandon Macias scores. Chadwin Stang to 3rd.

Nick Ramirez doubles (1) on a line drive to center fielder Jamal Austin. Chadwin Stang scores. Ben McMahan scores.

Pitching Change: Joshua Corrales replaces Rusty Shellhorn.

With Yadiel Rivera batting, wild pitch by Joshua Corrales, Nick Ramirez to 3rd.

Yadiel Rivera singles on a line drive to right fielder Jabari Blash. Nick Ramirez scores.

Mike Garza singles on a line drive to right fielder Jabari Blash. Yadiel Rivera to 2nd.

Carlos George pops out to second baseman Daniel Paolini.

Rafael Neda singles on a line drive to right fielder Jabari Blash. Yadiel Rivera scores. Mike Garza to 3rd on the throw.

Adrian Williams grounds into a force out, shortstop Bryan Brito to second baseman Daniel Paolini. Rafael Neda out at 2nd.

[Mass Haas]

AUDIO: Brewers Pre-Game Interview with INF Taylor Green

[Mass Haas]

Timber Rattlers' Thompson fans 10

Brewers prospect pitches six strong innings in series opener

By Zack Cox / Special to MLB.com

 

If you watch baseball for the hits, runs and homers, the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers pitching staff is probably not for you.

 

Chad Thompson followed up back-to-back complete-game shutouts by recording a career-high 10 strikeouts over six innings Saturday as Wisconsin beat Clinton, 9-1, in Game 1 of its Midwest League semifinal series.

 

Thompson (1-0) gave up a run on four hits to send the Timber Rattlers home with a chance to wrap up the best-of-3 series on Sunday night.

 

After giving up a solo homer to Daniel Paolini in the first, the Brewers prospect allowed just one LumberKing to advance past first base. Ramon Morla roped a triple to right in the bottom of the fourth but was stranded at third.

 

"My slider was working very well for me," the second-year pro said. "I was able to slide my fastball to my glove-hand side on the far side of the plate. I got that [to work] pretty well and I was able to get a lot of outside calls."

 

The bullpen did not miss a beat after Thompson departed, with Stosh Wawrzasek and Santo Manzanillo limiting Clinton to a hit and two walks over the final three frames. They combined to fan six, bringing Wisconsin's total to 16 strikeouts on the night.

 

The Timber Rattlers have been almost unhittable in the postseason, yielding just one run over the last 30 innings and five in four playoff games.

 

"There's a lot of good chemistry between the guys," Thompson said, "a lot of good energy coming from this pitching staff."

 

While the Rattlers' three first-round games were relatively low-scoring, Saturday's win was not.

 

Wisconsin did all of its scoring in the fourth and fifth inning. Shortstop Yadiel Rivera proved the catalyst with a three-run homer in the fourth and Michael Garza went back-to-back with a solo shot. Rivera added an RBI single in the fifth.

 

LumberKings starter Rusty Shellhorn (0-1) allowed one hit through three innings before stumbling in the fourth and was charged with eight of the Timber Rattlers' nine runs

 

Chad Thompson has allowed one run or fewer in four consecutive starts. (Paul R. Gierhart/MiLB.com)

 

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