The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers receive a strong start from Stiven Cruz and a timely home run from Eric Brown Jr to hold on for a 3-2 win over the Quad Cities River Bandits Thursday night at Modern Woodmen Park. The win was the fourth in a row for the Timber Rattlers.
Wisconsin (4-1 second half, 30-39 overall) got on the scoreboard first when they plated a run in the third inning. Je’Von Ward doubled to start the inning. Ernesto Martínez Jr followed with a single to score Ward for the 1-0 lead.
Cruz kept the River Bandits (0-5, 32-39) in check for five innings. The right-hander gave up a lead-off single in the first inning and retired the next fourteen batters in a row. A walk and a single with two outs in the fifth inning threatened to spoil the night for Cruz, but he bounced back with a strikeout to end the frame. Cruz allowed two hits, walked one, and struck out eight to turn a 1-0 lead over to the bullpen.
Alexander Cornielle was the first reliever and was into a game for the first time since June 4. He pitched around a lead-off single in the sixth and a two-out walk in the seventh to protect the 1-0 lead.
Brown gave the Rattlers a little breathing room with a two-run home run off Cruz Noriega in the top of the eighth inning for a 3-0 advantage.
Cornielle went back out for the bottom of the eighth and got the first out but walked Shervyen Newton to end his night and bring Brannon Jordan in as the second Wisconsin reliever.
Jordan gave up a single and a walk to the first two batters he faced to load the bases. Gavin Cross, the #1 prospect of the Kansas City Royals, stepped in to the box and sent a slow grounder to second baseman Robert Moore. Wisconsin was able to get the force at second, but Brown’s throw to first was late to get the speedy Cross. The fielder’s choice allowed the Bandits to score their first run of the game. Jordan got the final out when Cayden Wallace flew out deep to center.
The Timber Rattlers sent Jordan back out for the ninth and he gave up a triple to Carter Jensen and an RBI single to Juan Carlos Negret to cut Wisconsin’s lead to one run. The call went to the bullpen for Tanner Shears to put out the fire.
He got there, but it wasn’t easy. River Town was trying to bunt Negret into scoring position. However, Shears threw a wild pitch to let Negret take second. Then, with Town still trying to bunt Negret up a base, Shears hit Town to put the winning run on first base and there still no outs in the frame.
The River Bandits stuck with the bunt, and it cost them an out and their manager. Kale Emshoff bunted right to Martínez, who was charging hard from first base. The throw went to third and Eduardo García had to stretch for the wide throw but held the bag in the view of base umpire Cliburn Rondon to retire Negret for the first out. Brooks Conrad, the Bandits manager, who was coaching at third base, disagreed with the call, and was ejected after a brief, but intense argument.
Newton was at the plate to face Shears and had a full count before he sent a grounder to Moore at second. This time the ball was hit hard enough, and the Rattlers were able to turn the 4-6-3 double play to end the game and celebrate their first four-game winning streak of the season.
The win was just the fourth one-run decision to go Wisconsin’s way this season. The Rattlers are 4-14 in their eighteen games decided by one run this season.
Game three of the series is Friday night at Modern Woodmen Park. Tyler Woessner (5-3, 2.70) is the scheduled starting pitcher for the Timber Rattlers. The River Bandits will counter with Adrian Alcantara (0-3, 4.58). Game time is 6:30pm CDT.
