ABOUT LAST NIGHT: The Rattlers completed their 8-game road trip with a 6-3 win over the Fort Wayne Wizards. Justin Thomas pitched seven strong innings and Ron Garth had four hits to give Wisconsin their third straight win.
NO DOUBTING THOMAS: The Rattler lefty allowed just one run, did not walk a batter, and struck out five as he matched his career high for inning pitched with seven. In his five starts this season, Thomas has given up only one run in four of those games.
FOUR! Garth’s 4-hit game last night was the second time this season he has collected four hits in one game. Garth also had four hits in the game at Beloit on April 11.
BIG LEAD: Wisconsin grabbed a 6-1 lead with a 5-run fourth inning last night. A sacrifice fly by Jeff Dominguez snapped a 1-1 tie. Garth and JB Tucker had back-to-back RBI singles and an error on Tucker’s single allowed Garth to score. Later in the inning, Tucker stole home as part of a double steal to cap off the inning.
LATE EXCITEMENT: Rattler reliever Harold Williams entered the game in the bottom of the eighth inning and walked the first three batters to load the bases. A wild pitch allowed one run to score. A dropped pop up reloaded the bases. Williams struck out the next two batters, but walked a fourth batter in the inning to force in a run and make the score 6-3. Williams struck out Kyle Blanks looking to end the inning and the last gasp rally by the Wizards.
ROAD WARRIORS: The Rattlers are 7-4 in eleven road games this season. On the just concluded road trip, Wisconsin had the lead in all eight games.
HOME COOKIN’: Wisconsin won the final two games of their last home series and are 4-7 at Fox Cities Stadium this season.
STREAKIN’: Robby Hudson extended his hitting streak to eight games with a pair of singles last night. Dominguez has a seven game streak going after his first inning single against the Wizards last night.
ABOUT THE OPPONENTS: The West Michigan Whitecaps are the Midwest League affiliate of the Detroit Tigers. They are 14-7 and currently in second place in the Eastern Division. The Whitecaps finished last season with a record of 73-67 and made the playoffs as the second half division champions. They swept Fort Wayne out of the first round, but were swept in the Eastern Division finals by South Bend.
VS. WHITECAPS IN ’05: The Rattlers and Whitecaps split their eight games against each other last season. Wisconsin went 2-2 against the Caps in early May at Fox Cities Stadium. Then, the Rattlers split a four game set at Fifth Third Ballpark in Mid-August
PROSPECTING: BASEBALL AMERICA places four current Whitecaps on their top thirty list of Tiger Prospects. Outfielder Cameron Maybin, the tenth overall selection in the 2005 draft, is rated #3 by BA. Infielder Mike Hollimon and pitcher Sendy Rodriguez are rated at #22 & #23. Outfielder Matt Joyce is ranked #27. The Whitecaps have eleven members of the Tigers 2005 draft class. Maybin was a first rounder. Pitchers Anthony Clagget (11th), Burke Badenhop (18th), Erik Averill (20th), and Gibbs Wilson (36th) were all pick last June. Also in the 2005 draft for the Tigers were Joyce (12th), Hollimon (16th), Mark Haske (23rd), William Rhymes (27th), and Ryan Roberson (30th).
OPPOSING STARTING PITCHER: Ramon Garcia was signed by the Tigers as a non-drafted free agent in 2004 out of the Dominican Republic. Last season, Garcia was 5-3 with a 3.65 ERA for the Gulf Coast League Tigers. So far this season, Garcia has made four starts and gone at least five innings while not allowing more than two runs in any of those starts. Garcia won his last start by giving up two runs on four hits over eight innings against the Clinton LumberKings on April 24. He struck out five and walked none in that game. Garcia has walked only two batters and struck out twenty in 26 innings pitched this season.
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