The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers were looking for their first seven-game winning streak since the 2014 season but trailed the Beloit Sky Carp 1-0 with two outs and two on in the top of the ninth inning on Saturday night at ABC Supply Stadium. That was when Eric Brown Jr took over the game. Brown, who ended the game with four hits, launched a three-run homer to put the Rattlers in front. The hit also opened the floodgates for the Rattlers as the team would collect four runs and ten hits after the homer to go on to a 7-1 victory over the Sky Carp.
Aaron Ashby made the start for Wisconsin on a rehabilitation assignment for the Milwaukee Brewers. Ashby pitched a scoreless first inning with two walks and two strikeouts on eighteen pitches.
The Rattlers (57-66 overall, 31-28 second half) had opportunities early in the game against Sky Carp starter Karson Milbrandt. Their best shot was a lead-off double by Eric Brown Jr, but the Rattlers could not score in that inning. Milbrandt had seven strikeouts over four scoreless innings.
Tyler Woessner took over for Ashby to start the bottom of the second inning and worked through a few situations until the fifth.
Joe Mack reached on a one-out, infield single. Woessner walked the next batter. Torin Montgomery followed with an RBI single, and Beloit (51-73, 24-35) was up 1-0.
Holt Jones took over for Milbrandt and allowed one hit over two scoreless innings.
Matt Wood started the Wisconsin seventh inning with a single against reliever Christian Charle. A wild pitch with one out put Wood at second base, but Charle got the second out on a routine fly ball to left. There would be nothing routine about the next few batters.
Eduarqui Fernández drew a walk to extend the inning to Brown. Charle got ahead of the Brewers #1 pick from the 2022 draft with two quick strikes. Charle made a mistake and hung the next pitch over the plate. Brown crushed the ball over the Wisconsin bullpen out to the base of the scoreboard in left field for a three-run homer. Brown’s first Midwest League home run since June 29 gave Wisconsin a 3-1 lead.
Luis Lara kept the inning alive with a triple. Then, Brock Wilken, Milwaukee’s #1 pick in the 2023 draft, roped a double down the line in left for a 4-1 lead.
The Rattlers kept the pressure on with three straight singles to start the eighth inning. Wood’s single ended the sequence and gave the Rattlers a 5-1 advantage.
In the top of the ninth, Brown, who was a triple shy of the cycle, singled. Hendry Mendez drove in Brown later in the inning with a single. Robert Moore added a sacrifice fly to score the final run of the game.
Woessner navigated his way through a scoreless bottom of the sixth inning after a one-out double with help from a strikeout and a grounder to short. Woessner allowed one run on six hits with seven strikeouts over five innings. The offense took the lead in the top of the seventh to put Woessner in line for his sixth win of the season.
Nick Merkel nailed down that win for Woessner as he pitched three perfect innings out of the Wisconsin for his first Midwest League save.
Just for good measure, Brown made a stylish play with a sliding stop on a grounder up the middle to get the final out of the game.
Wood and Mendez each had three hits in the game for the Rattlers. Wisconsin ended the game with seventeen hits and went 5-for-10 with runners in scoring position. The Rattlers defense played their fourth errorless game of the series. Wisconsin pitchers have allowed three earned runs in 45 innings of the series against the Sky Carp.
Wisconsin has not had a seven-game winning streak since June 2 through June 9 in the 2014 season. The Sky Carp have lost seven in a row.
The series finale is Sunday afternoon at ABC Supply Stadium. Edwin Jimenez (5-5, 4.68) is the scheduled starting pitcher for the Timber Rattlers. Alex Williams (2-7, 4.76) is set to start for the Sky Carp. Game time is 1:05pm.
