The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers got a two-run home run from Darrien Miller, an impressive Midwest League debut from Israel Puello, and four innings of scoreless relief from three relievers for a 2-1 win over the Cedar Rapids Kernels Thursday night at Neuroscience Group Field at Fox Cities Stadium.

Miller gave Wisconsin (41-30 overall, 5-1 second half) the lead with a two-run home run in the bottom of the second inning.

The Kernels (45-27, 2-4) cut Wisconsin’s lead in half when Wander Javier hit a home run on the first pitch of the top of the fifth inning.

The home run by Javier was the only run allowed by Puello, who was making his Timber Rattler debut on Thursday.  Puello allowed three hits, walked one, and struck out seven over five innings before turning the game over to the Wisconsin bullpen.

Christian Tripp was up first.  He allowed two hits and a walk over two innings.  Tripp had runners at first and second with one out in the top of the seventh but escaped the jam by getting Kyler Fedko to ground into an inning-ending 5-4-3 double play.

James Meeker was next.  He pitched a 1-2-3 eighth inning with one strikeout.

Cam Robinson, the Minor League Baseball leader in saves, took over in the top of the ninth.  Robinson, who needed ten pitches to close out the Wednesday’s game against Cedar Rapids, only needed nine pitches for a perfect top of the ninth on Thursday to finish the game and pick up his nineteenth save of the season.

Robinson is now tied for second for most saves in a season by a Wisconsin pitcher.  He is tied with John Thompson (1995) and Greg Holle (2011).  The Timber Rattlers record holder is Nate Griep, who had 23 saves in 2016.

The Timber Rattlers have won seven of their last eight games.

Game four of the series is Friday night.  Antoine Kelly (2-3, 3.27) is the scheduled starting pitcher for the Timber Rattlers.  The Kernels have not named a starter for Friday at this time.  First pitch is scheduled for 6:40pm.