ABOUT LAST NIGHT: Cedar Rapids jumped out to an early 5-0 lead with a five run top of the first and beat the Rattlers 7-2. Kernel reliever Chris Howell got the win with three innings of scoreless work out of the bullpen. Brett Martinez drove in three runs and scored another for the Kernels. Cedar Rapids also turned a triple play, the fourth in their history.
TAKING THE FIRST: The Kernels loaded the bases with no outs against Rattler starting pitcher Paul Fagan on an infield single, a walk, and a hit batsman. Fagan got ahead of Kernel cleanup hitter Travis Schlichting 0-2, but hit him with another pitch and a run was forced home. Later in the inning, Warner Madrigal and Brett Martinez each had two-run singles. In all the Kernels sent nine men to the plate in the opening inning.
TRIPLE DECKER: The first triple play turned in the minor leagues this season went 6-4-3. The Rattlers had runners at first and second (Mike Saunders and Bryan Sabatella) with no outs in the bottom of the sixth inning. Jeff Flaig sent a low liner that Kernel shortstop Hainley Statia trapped. Statia tagged out the runner at second, flipped to second for the force (and out number two), and the relay to first was in plenty of time for the trifecta.
DÉJÀ VU: Timber Rattler teammates Chao Kuan Wu and JB Tucker were involved in a triple play last season. On July 6 at Boise, Tucker lined into a triple play in the top of the ninth inning.
MORE DEFENSE: The Rattlers had two runs in, Jeff Dominguez at second base and trailed 6-2 in the bottom of the fourth. Ron Garth singled to left, but Patrick Reilly threw out Dominguez at home for the final out of the inning.
STILL GOING: Eddy Hernandez drove in a run with a single in the bottom of the fourth to extend his hitting streak to six games (6-for-22)
IN A PINCH: Robby Hudson was the first Rattler pinch hitter of 2006 and he grounded out to end the seventh. Last season, Rattler pinch hitters were 10-for-31 with five RBI and no home runs.
OPPOSING STARTING PITCHER: Stephen Marek was a 40th round pick of the Angels in the 2004 draft out of San Jacinto Junior College in Texas. Marek signed just before the 2005 draft. He was 1-3 in fifteen games (fourteen starts) for Orem in the Pioneer League last season. He was named the Most Outstanding Pitcher in the 2004 Junior College World Series and was primarily a reliever for San Jacinto. In his first start of 2006, Marek pitched 6-2/3 innings of shutout ball at Beloit on April 9. He gave up just two hits and struck out five without a walk, but got a no decision in a 3-2 loss to the Snappers.
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