ABOUT LAST NIGHT: The Rattlers beat Clinton 8-2. Justin Thomas struck out a career high nine batters over six shutout innings for his fifth win of the season. The Rattlers blew open a 2-0 game with six runs in the seventh inning. The Rattlers managed those six runs on just three hits and sent eleven men to the plate in the big frame.
IT’S BEEN AWHILE: The win yesterday was the second consecutive victory for the Rattlers. Wisconsin had not won two straight games since May 5-6 at Cedar Rapids.
IT’S BEEN AWHILE (PT II): The Rattlers will be trying for their second straight home win tonight. Wisconsin hasn’t won two consecutive games at Fox Cities Stadium since April 19-20 when they won the final two games of the series from the Southwest Michigan Devil Rays.
THOMAS TERRIFIC: Thomas bounced back from a game in which he did not get out of the second inning to shutout the LumberKings over six innings. The lefty gave up only five hits and did not walk a batter.
A LOT OF K’s: Not only was last night a career high for Thomas in strikeouts, it was also the most K’s by a Rattler pitcher since Julio Santiago struck out ten Dayton Dragons at Fifth Third Field on August 31, 2005. The last time a Rattler pitcher struck more than nine opposing batters in a game at Fox Cities Stadium was August 18, 2004. Brian Stitt struck out ten Lansing Lugnuts over six innings in that game.
NEW RELIEVERS BRING RELIEF: Roman Martinez and Lance Beus wasted no time getting into action. They arrive in Appleton in time for last night’s game and both worked a scoreless inning. Martinez struck out a pair and gave up two hits in the seventh. Beus worked a 1-2-3 ninth to sew up the win.
ENDING A STREAK: Rattler reliever Rollie Gibson retired the first batter he faced last night when he entered the game to start the eighth inning. It was the first time since April 19th that he retired the first batter he faced in a game, a streak of eleven games.
DON’T FORGET THE OFFENSE: Chao Kuan Wu had three hits and his fourth inning RBI single put the Rattlers up 1-0. Eddy Hernandez knocked in a pair of runs for the Rattlers.
OPPOSING STARTING PITCHER: Juan Jimenez originally signed as a non-drafted free agent with San Diego in 2003. The Rangers acquired him in a trade for Manny Alexander on August 31, 2005. He pitched last season for the AZL Padres and the Eugene Emeralds and did not appear in a game for the Rangers organization. In his last start, the Cedar Rapids Kernels beat Jimenez at Alliant Energy Field on May 29. Jimenez gave up just two runs on two hits and struck out ten over six innings, but took the loss. This is his first appearance against the Timber Rattlers, but he did make two starts against the AZL Mariners last season. He was 0-1 with an ERA of 4.97. He struck out 13 over 12-2/3 innings against the AZL M’s.
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