The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers stayed within striking distance in the playoff chase with a 5-1 win over the Peoria Chiefs on Sunday afternoon at Neuroscience Group Field at Fox Cities Stadium. Justin Jarvis won his third straight decision with a quality start and the Rattlers offense hit three home runs.
Zavier Warren hit the first Wisconsin home run when he homered to the Peoria bullpen in the bottom of the first inning for a 1-0 lead.
The Chiefs (21-30) tied the game in the top of the second inning. Francisco Hernandez tripled to start the frame. Thomas Francisco drove in Hernandez with a single.
Ashton McGee lined a home run over the wall in left to lead off the bottom of the fifth and Wisconsin (31-20) was up 2-1. McGee is on a seven-game hitting streak.
Jarvis was sharp as the Timber Rattlers starting pitcher. He allowed one run on three hits with a walk and six strikeouts over six innings. That set him up for his fourth win of the season.
Alex Hall gave the Timber Rattlers some breathing room when he crushed a two-run home run to right in the bottom of the seventh.
Wisconsin added one more insurance run in the bottom of the eighth when Jose Acosta scored on a wild pitch.
Joey Matulovich and James Meeker closed out the game for the Timber Rattlers out of the bullpen. Matulovich allowed a hit and struck out two over two innings. Meeker pitched the ninth, allowed one hit, and ended the game with a strikeout.
The victory gave Wisconsin a split in the six-game series with the Chiefs.
In the first half, Western Division playoff chase, the Rattlers remained two games behind the first place Cedar Rapids Kernels. The Kernels won 9-3 at Lansing on Sunday to move their record to 33-18. There are fifteen games remaining in the half for both teams. The Rattlers and Kernels do not face each other again in the half.
The Timber Rattlers are off on Monday. They are back in action on Tuesday to start a twelve-game road trip. The journey begins against the Beloit Sky Carp at ABC Stadium. Russell Smith (1-4, 5.88) is the scheduled starting pitcher for Wisconsin. Game time is 6:35pm.
