TO END A HALF: The Timber Rattlers ended their first half with a 6-0 loss on Sunday at John O’Donnell Stadium against the Swing of the Quad Cities. Cory Meacham pitched a complete game three-hit shutout for the victory. Rattler starter Paul Fagan pitched seven innings and gave up just three runs, but took the loss.
TO END A STREAK: Rattler reliever Joe Woerman allowed a three-run home run with one out in the bottom of the eighth inning on Sunday. That blast ended Woerman’s scoreless streak at 19-1/3 innings.
TO END A STREAK (PT II): Jeff Dominguez went 0-for-3 with a walk on Sunday and saw his hitting streak end at twelve games. The twelve game hit streak is the longest of the season for the Rattlers.
WHO IS HOT: Luis Valbuena ended the first half on a ten game hitting streak. He is 16-for-37 (.432) during his second ten game hitting streak of the season.
WHO IS NOT: Michael Saunders ended the half with a tough series against the Swing. He went 0-for-11 with eight strikeouts.
ROUGH HALF: The Timber Rattlers are currently 27-43, a season low sixteen games under .500. That record was the worst first half record in team history. The previous worst first half record was 30-39 by the 2002 Rattlers. The worst record in any half by a Rattler team was the 2002 team’s 23-47 record in the second half.
MOVIN’ ON: Since the end of the first half, Woerman and outfielder Casey Craig have been promoted to Inland Empire, the California League affiliate of the Seattle Mariners. Infielder Bryan Sabatella was sent down to Everett, the Northwest League affiliate of the Mariners.
MEET THE NEW GUYS: The Mariners have sent infielder Johan Limonta, outfielder Kevin Reynolds, and catcher Travis Scott to Wisconsin. Limonta was a 20th round selection out of Miami-Dade Community College in the 2006 draft. Reynolds was selected in the 42nd round of the 2005 draft out of Quincy University. Scott was a 20th round pick in 2005 out of Lincoln Land Community College. Limonta will make his professional debut when he appears in his first game as a Rattler. Reynolds was a combined 11-for-53 in 18 games between Inland Empire and San Antonio earlier this season. Scott was 0-for-3 in one game with Everett this season.
ABOUT THE OPPONENTS: The Kane County Cougars are the Midwest League affiliate of the Oakland Athletics. Kane County claimed the first half Western Division Wild Card with a 40-29 record. The Cougars lost their final series of the half, dropping three out of four to the first half Western Division Champion Peoria Chiefs.
VS. KANE COUNTY IN ’06: The Rattlers are just 3-9 against the Cougars in 2006. The Cougars took three out of four games in each of the three series played in the first half. Most recently, the Cougars went 3-1 against the Rattlers at Fox Cities Stadium June 7-9. The teams split a doubleheader on the 7th and Kane County won the final two games. Jeff Baisley and Anthony Recker each had three homers in the first half against Wisconsin. Baisley drove in thirteen runs in twelve games against the Rattlers. The Cougars outscored Wisconsin 69-41 in the first half. Kane County had two pitchers – Jared Lansford and Jason Ray go 3-0 in three starts against Wisconsin this season.
PROSPECTING: BASEBALL AMERICA’S Top 30 list of Oakland prospects includes four members of the current Cougar roster. Pitchers Vince Mazzaro (#10), and Jared Lansford (#12) are joined on the list by infielders Justin Sellers (#17) and Jeff Baisley (#30). Craig Italiano, number eight on Oakland’s Top 30 list, is currently on the disabled list. The Cougars have twelve members of Oakland’s 2005 draft class on their current roster, not including Italiano. Lansford (2nd) and Mazzaro (3rd) are the highest of the ’05 draftees. Also from last year’s class are: Sellers (6th), Trey Shields (9th), John Herrera (10th), Steve Kleen (11th), Baisley (12th), Mike Massaro (13th), Isaac Omura (17th), Anthony Recker (18th), Ron Madej (26th), and TJ Franco (30th).
OPPOSING STARTING PITCHER: Jared Lansford was a second round pick of the Athletics in 2005 draft out of Santa Clara (CA) High School. He was 0-1 with a 1.27ERA for the AZL Athletics in 2005. In 21-1/3 innings he struck out 20 and walked just five. On May 14th, Lansford tossed a seven inning no-hitter against the Beloit Snappers in the first game of a doubleheader at Pohlman Field. Lansford is 3-0 against the Rattlers this season. In three starts against Wisconsin, he has allowed an unearned run and eight hits over nineteen innings. In his last start of the first half, Lansford was beaten at home by the Peoria Chiefs. He gave up seven runs on six hits over five innings on June 15 in a 7-5 loss to the Chiefs. Lansford is the son of former major leaguer Carney Lansford.
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