Link Report for Sun. 7/14

[Mass Haas]

Captains rally past Timber Rattlers

by Dan Kohn, Post-Crescent Media

 

GRAND CHUTE — One night after winning in dramatic fashion, the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers got a taste of their own medicine.

 

Lake County scored three times in the ninth inning off reliever Taylor Mangum to beat Wisconsin 4-3 at Time Warner Cable Field at Fox Cities Stadium on Sunday.

 

After losing three of their past four games in the final at-bat, the Captains would have none of it this time.

 

Trailing 3-1, Joe Sever homered, Jeremy Lucas singled and pinch-runner Erik Gonzalez went all the way to third on a wild pitch. Eric Haase and Anthony Santander both followed with RBI doubles to fuel the comeback.

Wisconsin had been in command since the fifth.

 

“We had control of that ballgame for 8 1⁄3 innings and got the three runs in the fifth with a couple of home runs,” Timber Rattlers manager Matt Erickson said. “Things were looking pretty good until the ninth inning there when they got the home run and then they got the base hit and then we had the wild pitch, so we had to come off the line and then they sneak one down the line. We weren’t able to make a play there and he gets all the way to third.

 

“That’s the way it happens when you don’t make pitches or you give them free bases with the wild pitch and then the error. Good teams are going to take advantage of it. I believe that team has lost four games in a row in the last at-bat. They were looking for something like this for sure. Unfortunately, it happened for them today against us.”

 

Victor Roache homered with one out and after Garrett Cooper got his first hit as a member of the Timber Rattlers, Parker Berberet followed with a two-run home run.

 

The Captains cut the deficit to 3-1 in the seventh. Logan Vick doubled with one out and scored on a single by Lucas.

 

Jorge Lopez started for Wisconsin and was solid through seven, allowing just one run on three hits.

 

“He did a great job commanding the fastball and moving it to both sides of the plate,” Berberet said of Lopez. “I’d say that was the key to his success today. His curveball has been a work in progress, but he threw a few good ones today. His changeup is his second-best pitch and he threw that well.”

 

Lopez avoided early trouble out of the gate.

 

“He got a little bit of good luck there, good fortune the first inning,” Erickson said. “He came out and was a little eratic. I guess you would call it effectively wild. He hits the first batter and then we throw him out on a steal attempt. Then he walks the next batter on four pitches and we get a double play out of it.

 

“The next time out (in the second), the ball was coming out of his hand pretty nice and he was able to establish the zone and control some counts and did a nice job through seven innings today.

 

Despite his success, Lopez gave credit for his success to his teammates.

 

“A lot of groundballs today,” Lopez said. “My fastball had good location, so I was confident. My team helped me. (Alfredo) Rodriguez made a good play (turning a double play in the first).

 

“My couple of first starts weren’t good. I have confidence now on the mound. I work every day on my curve. That’s what I need to throw much better.”

 

The Rattlers will again be in action today as Johnny Hellweg takes the mound for Wisconsin. Hellweg was acquired last season by the Milwaukee Brewers, along with Ariel Pena and Jean Segura in the Zack Greinke trade with the Los Angeles Angels.

 

Because of the all-star break, the Brewers optioned Hellweg to Wisconsin so he doesn’t alter his pitching routine. He is 0-3 with a 10.97 ERA with Milwaukee.

[Mass Haas]

Post-Crescent Timber Rattlers Photo Gallery via Ron Page

[Mass Haas]

Berberet catching on with Timber Rattlers

by Dan Kohn, Post-Crescent Media

 

GRAND CHUTE — With Tyler Roberts banged up, the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers have had to rely heavily on catcher Parker Berberet the past few days.

 

And the Milwaukee Brewers’ 25th round pick out of Oregon State in 2011 has not disappointed.

 

After catching all 12 innings the night before in a 6-4 win over Lake County, Berberet was back in there just a few hours later for Sunday’s afternoon game against the Captains.

 

Instead of wilting in the 86-degree heat, he came up big, throwing out a would-be base stealer, blocking several balls in the dirt and hitting a two-run blast in the fifth inning to give the Timber Rattlers the lead before they gave it up in the ninth in a 4-3 loss.

 

Berberet’s efforts didn’t go unnoticed by Timber Rattlers manager Matt Erickson.

 

“He was 14-of-14 blocking the baseball yesterday,” Erickson said. “He basically won that game for us. We had some really good pitching yesterday, especially Rodolfo Fernandez with one hit in four innings in relief to pick up the win. (Tyler) Wagner had pretty good stuff, pretty good sink but he was spiking some fastballs early and Berbs did a great job of blocking everything that was thrown up.”

 

Berberet, who is hitting .238, has hit five home runs this season in 54 games, 37 behind the plate. But whether it’s at the plate or catching, Berberet said he just wants to contribute anyway he can.

 

“We’re deep into the season, so we’re grinding it out,” Berberet said. “Anytime I can get into the lineup, I’m happy to be there.”

 

Since rejoining the Rattlers on June 20, Roberts has been the team’s No. 1 catcher, catching all 14 games he has appeared in. He was selected by the Brewers in the 10th round of the 2009 draft out of Jones County, Ga., High School.

 

“We’re a little banged up there and he felt fine,” Erickson said of Berberet. “He hasn’t caught in a while and he was going to go again today and then we are probably going with Roberts in a day game. Then we have a day off, so we’ll be back to healthy behind the plate there.”

 

Berberet’s chance at being Sunday’s hero, however, was dashed by the Captains, who scored three times off reliever Taylor Mangum in the ninth on Joe Sever’s home run, Eric Haase’s RBI double and Anthony Santander’s RBI double.

 

“That’s the way it goes sometimes,” Berberet said. “Mangum has been pitching great. Unfortunately today, he didn’t have it.”

 

Timber Rattlers catcher Parker Berberet takes a pitch during Sunday's game. / Ron Page/Post-Crescent Media

 

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[Mass Haas]

VIDEO from Saturday:

 

Nashville's Cole Garner hits an RBI triple in the seventh inning of a 5-4 loss to Memphis

 

And the heartbreaker:

 

Memphis' Chris Swauger delivers a lead with a bases-clearing double in the ninth inning of that 5-4 win over Nashville