The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers scored all six of their runs with two outs and rallied past the Peoria Chiefs for a 6-3 win at Dozer Park on Saturday Night. The win was Wisconsin’s first in seven tries against the Chiefs at Dozer Park this season.
Peoria (11-6 second half, 44-39 overall) took a 1-0 lead with an unearned run in the bottom of the second inning. Ramon Mendoza singled to start the inning and Jeremy Rivas walked with one out. The duo pulled a double steal with Carlos Linarez at the plate. Catcher Darrien Miller threw wildly to third to allow Mendoza to trot home with the first run of the game.
Nathan Church and RJ Yeager started the bottom of the third with singles and a wild pitch by Wisconsin starter Jacob Misiorowski allowed both runners to move into scoring position. Jimmy Crooks drove in Church with a sacrifice fly to left and the Chiefs were up 2-0.
Wisconsin (9-8, 35-46) got on the scoreboard in the top of the fourth. Alex Hall singled with two outs. Miller drew a walk to extend the inning. Ben Metzinger followed with an RBI single to center to score Hall.
Both starting pitchers would be out after four innings. Zane Mills, the Peoria starter, allowed a run on two hits with two walks and no strikeouts. Wisconsin starter Jacob Misiorowski allowed two runs – one earned – on four hits and three walks with four strikeouts. Misiorowski left with 76 pitches – 42 strikes in his four innings.
The Chiefs collected three singles in the bottom of the fifth against Wisconsin reliever Miguel Guerrero. Osvaldo Tovalin delivered the final hit of the frame, a two-out, RBI single to knock in a run to make it a two-run lead for Peoria.
Ernesto Martínez Jr drew a lead-off walk in the top of the sixth inning against Peoria reliever Dionys Rodriguez, but he was still at first base with two outs. Metzinger came through with a double off the wall in left to score Martínez and knock Rodriguez out of the game.
Jose Acosta greeted reliever Nathanael Heredia with a sharp single to left. Metzinger scored the tying run ahead of the throw with Acosta taking second base. Je’Von Ward kept the inning alive with an infield single. Terence Doston gave the Rattlers the lead with a single to left to score Acosta.
Guerrero pitched around a two-out double in the bottom of the sixth and turned the one-run lead over to Shane Smith for the bottom of the seventh.
Wisconsin added a run in the top of the eighth inning. Ward smacked a double to left-center on a 3-2 pitch with two outs to score Acosta from first for a 5-3 lead.
Smith held the Chiefs right where they were at with two perfect innings, including three strikeouts.
Martínez, who walked three times in the game, added another insurance run for the Timber Rattlers with a two-out, solo homer in the top of the ninth. Martínez has homered in both games of the series at Peoria and now has eight homers on the season.
Tanner Shears allowed a two-out single in the bottom of the ninth inning but nothing else as he closed out the game for his third save of the season.
The win gave both teams a win in the first two games of this brief, three-game set.
The rubber game of the series is Sunday afternoon at Dozer Park.
