The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers forgot all about a tough loss to the South Bend Cubs on Tuesday night as they defeated the Western Division Leaders 6-2 on Wednesday night at Neuroscience Group Field at Fox Cities Stadium. Jackson Chourio, the #1 prospect of the Milwaukee Brewers, had a home run and three RBI to lead the offense.
Chourio put the Timber Rattlers (55-48 overall, 19-19 second half) in the lead with a lightning bolt off his bat in the bottom of the first inning. Darrien Miller reached on an error to start the inning. Chourio followed with a 107-mph line drive that cleared the wall in left for a home run and a 2-0 lead. The blast was the second homer of the season for Chourio.
The Cubs (58-46, 24-14) came back to tie the game with unearned runs in the first and second inning to tie the game. Owen Caissie scored from first on a dropped fly ball to right that would have been the final out of the first. In the second, Yeison Santana singled and took third on an error on the play. Pete Crow-Armstrong drove in Santana with a sacrifice fly to even the score.
Wisconsin went back in front in the bottom of the third. Arbert Cipion was hit by a pitch and Miller walked to start the frame. A wild pitch with Chourio at the plate moved both runners up a base. A wild pitch with Zavier Warren at the plate let Cipion score and Miller to take third base for a 3-2 lead.
Then, Warren smacked a single through the drawn-in infield to score Miller and Wisconsin was back up by two runs. Warren extended his hitting streak to eleven games with that RBI single. This is Warren’s second eleven-game hitting streak of the season.
The Timber Rattlers added two more runs to their lead on just one hit in the bottom of the sixth. Ben Metzinger started the inning with a single against reliever Riley Martin. A hit batsman and a walk loaded the bases. Miller drew a walk, his third of the game, with one out to force in a run. Chourio got the final run home with a fielder’s choice.
Justin Jarvis was the starter for the Timber Rattlers, and he didn’t let the early runs for the Cubs rattle him. Jarvis pitched six innings, allowed four hits, walked three, and struck out two before turning over the lead to Robbie Baker.
Baker closed out the game with three perfect innings for his second save of the season.
Game three of the series is set for Thursday night. Carlos Rodríguez (0-0, 0.00) is the scheduled starting pitcher for the Timber Rattlers. The Cubs have named Luis Devers (2-0, 0.34) as their starting pitcher. Game time is 6:40pm.
