One team’s winning streak had to end on Tuesday night at Neuroscience Group Field at Fox Cities Stadium in the game between the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers (winners of five straight games) and Great Lakes Loons (winners of six straight). The Timber Rattlers jumped out to an early lead only to see the Loons rally for the lead. The Great Lakes bullpen took over from there to beat Wisconsin 6-4 in game one of the six-game series.
The Timber Rattlers (15-7) got off to another fast start by scoring three runs. Dylan O’Rae started the inning with a single to left and two wild pitches got him to third base. Luis Lara walked and stole second to put runners at second and third for Greogry Barrios, who singled to right to score both runners. Later in the inning, Barrios beat the throw home on a grounder to short off the bat of Jadher Areinamo for a 3-0 lead.
Wisconsin has outscored their opponents 27-10 in the first inning this season.
Noah Miller hit a two-out, solo homer in the top of the second inning to put Great Lakes (15-7) on the scoreboard.
O’Rae answered for the Rattlers with an RBI single in the bottom of the second to put the Rattlers up 4-1.
Miller struck again in the top of the fourth inning with a two-out, RBI single against Wisconsin starter Tate Kuehner. Miller would move to second on a wild pitch. Kuehner got ahead of Sam Mongelli 1-2, but the next pitch was lined off the wall in left for an RBI single. Mongelli was thrown out at second trying to go for a double, but the Rattlers lead was down to one run.
The lead was gone two batters into the fifth inning. Reliever Jake Polancic hit the first batter he faced. Then, Jake Vogel hit a home run to left and the Loons had a 5-4 lead.
The Rattlers offense was quiet after the second inning as they were held to two hits. Barrios had a lead-off double in the fifth inning against Chris Campos, who would retire the next nine Rattlers he faced. Areinamo singled with two outs in the eighth inning against Kelvin Ramirez, but he was left stranded. Ramirez closed out the game with a perfect ninth to end Wisconsin’s five-game winning streak.
O’Rae was 2-for-4 with a walk, a run scored, and an RBI for Wisconsin. However, the Rattlers were 2-for-12 with runners in scoring position.
The Timber Rattlers finished April with a 15-7 record, tied for the third-most wins in April in team history. The 2005 Timber Rattlers also went 15-7 in April. Only the Wisconsin teams in 1997 (17-8) and 1996 (16-7) won more games in April than this year’s team.
The Loons have won seven in a row, all of them on the road.
Game two of the series is Wednesday afternoon. Patricio Aquino (1-1, 6.23) is the scheduled starting pitcher for the Timber Rattlers. Jared Karros (3-0, 2.70) is set to start for the Loons. Game time is 12:10pm.
