The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers were down 7-0 to the Cedar Rapids Kernels after the top of the second inning on Wednesday afternoon at Neuroscience Group Field at Fox Cities Stadium. The Rattlers snapped a four-game losing streak by rallying past the top team in the West Division of the Midwest League for an 8-7 victory.
The Kernels (17-9 second half, 57-35 overall) knocked Wisconsin starting pitcher Cameron Wagoner out of the game in the first inning and scored six runs to take a commanding lead.
Wagoner struck out the first batter he faced, but walked the next two and gave up an infield single to load the bases. A walk to Misael Urbina drove in the first run of the game. Then, Andrew Cossetti cleared the bases with a double and the Kernels were up 4-0. Cossetti is 3-for-3 with three doubles against Wagoner this season.
The second out was recorded on a strikeout, but that was all for Wagoner, who threw 37 pitches in the inning.
Jeferson Morales greeted Wisconsin reliever Miguel Guerrero with a two-run homer and the Kernels were up 6-0.
Cedar Rapids added an unearned run on a sacrifice fly by Kala’i Rosario after Emmanuel Rodriguez reached on a three-base error to start the second inning.
CJ Culpepper, the Kernels starting pitcher, entered Wednesday’s game with a 2-0 record in three Midwest League starts. He had not allowed a run in his first sixteen innings in the league. That changed in the bottom of the second inning with a lot of help from the Cedar Rapids defense.
Hendry Mendez started the frame with a walk. Culpepper got the first out and appeared to get Alex Hall to ground into an inning-ending double play. However, Morales was called for catcher’s interference to allow Hall to reach. Jheremy Vargas followed with a single to load the bases before Terence Doston walked to force in Wisconsin’s first run of the inning.
Robert Moore was next, and he sent a grounder to second that could have been an inning-ending double play, too. However, the throw from Mikey Perez sailed all the way to the left field foul line. Three runs scored on the play and the Rattlers were down 7-4.
Matt Wood kept the rally going with an RBI single to score Moore. Culpepper would leave the game after giving up another single, but the Rattlers would not score again in the inning.
Eduardo García, who was just activated off the Wisconsin injured list this morning, got the Rattlers to within a run with a massive home run off the top of the hitting background beyond the wall in center. The homer, García’s fourth of the season, was measured at 447’.
The Timber Rattlers (39-51, 13-13) made it all the way back to even in the sixth inning. Reliever Alejandro Hidalgo walked the bases loaded with one out. Niklas Rimmel got the second out but walked Joe Gray Jr on four pitches to force in the tying run.
In the bottom of the eighth inning, Wood was hit by a pitch from John Wilson, the fifth Cedar Rapids pitcher of the game. Wood was replaced by pinch runner Je’Von Ward and Ward moved to second when Wilson walked Martínez. Gray followed with a fly ball deep to center that Rodriguez caught with a leaping grab at the wall to move Ward to third base.
Mendez was next and he sent a high chopper to the mound. Wilson got the out at second, but Mendez just beat the throw to force to allow Ward to score the go-ahead run.
Shane Smith, who entered the game with the bases loaded and two outs in the top of the seventh and kept the game tied through the top of the eighth, worked a 1-2-3 ninth inning to earn his first win as a Timber Rattler.
Guerrero worked 4-1/3 innings out of the Wisconsin bullpen and didn’t allow a run after the second inning. Michele Vassalotti worked a 1-2-3 sixth and retired the first two batters of the seventh before loading the bases and needing assistance from Smith to get out of the frame. Smith walked one and struck out three over the final 2-1/3 innings to finish the game.
The Rattlers topped their biggest comeback of the season with their win on Wednesday. Wisconsin had rallied from a 6-0 deficit after the top of the seventh inning to beat the Peoria Chiefs 8-7 in ten innings on May 30.
Game three of the series is Thursday night. Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Brandon Woodruff will make his second rehabilitation start for the Timber Rattlers in the game against Cedar Rapids. The Kernels have named Zebby Matthews 3-1, 5.02) as their starting pitcher. Game time is 6:40pm.
