Robert Moore picked his moments for the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers on Thursday night against the Cedar Rapids Kernels. Moore drove in three runs for Wisconsin including a victory-from-the-jaws-of-defeat, two-out, two-run single in the bottom of the tenth to send fans home happy from Neuroscience Group Field after a 4-3 victory.
The Rattlers (14-13 second half, 40-51 overall) took the lead in the bottom of the second. Darrien Miller grounded into a force out at second with runners on the corners and beat the throw to first to avoid an inning-ending double play to allow Joe Gray Jr to score.
Brandon Woodruff, who was making his second rehab start with the Rattlers, retired the first six batters he faced before he gave up a lead-off double to Misael Urbina in the third. Noah Miller, brother of Woodruff’s Milwaukee teammate Owen Miller, got the tying run home on a two-out, bad hop single.
Moore put Wisconsin right back in front with a 404’ home run to right. Moore’s seventh homer of the season made it 2-1.
Woodruff went back out for the fourth inning and gave up two singles but worked through the inning on a 6-4-3 double play and a popup. The Milwaukee right-hander allowed a run on four hits with no walks and four strikeouts with 52 pitches/26 strikes.
Alexander Cornielle took over for Woodruff to start the top of the fifth inning and retired the first two batters he faced. However, an error allowed Keoni Cavaco to reach base. Then, Miller lined a ball to the wall in left. Je’Von Ward made a leaping catch but could not hold onto the ball after hitting the wall. Cavaco scored from first on Miller’s double.
The Wisconsin bats went silent after the third inning. Fifteen batters in a row were retired from the third until Moore drew a two-out walk in the eighth inning against reliever Jordan Carr.
Jheremy Vargas singled to start the bottom of the ninth inning against reliever Miguel Rodriguez. Vargas stole second and was at third with two outs, but Wisconsin could not score so the game went to extra innings.
Miller gave the Kernels the lead on the first pitch from Tanner Shears in the top of the tenth. Miller lashed a single to right to score the placed runner from second base for a 3-2 lead. Shears walked the next batter before settling in to end the inning with two strikeouts and a popup.
It took some time for the Rattlers in the bottom of the tenth against Rodriguez, but they got there. Eduardo García was placed at second and Miller worked a walk to open the inning. A slow tapper back to the mound moved both runners into scoring position and that allowed Wisconsin to send Terence Doston in as a pinch-runner for Miller at second. Rodriguez got the second out of the inning on a strikeout and that brought Moore to the plate with the game on the line.
Moore lined the first pitch from Rodriguez to right field. García scored easily to tie the game. Doston raced for home, too, and scored the winning run without a play at the plate. Then, the race was on to catch Moore for the celebration of Wisconsin’s fifth walkoff win of the season.
Game four of the series is Friday night. Tyler Woessner (5-5, 3.80) is the scheduled starting pitcher for Wisconsin. The Kernels have named Kyle Jones (5-4, 4.46) as their starter. Game time is 6:40pm.
