Game Notes for 7/1

ABOUT LAST NIGHT: The Whitecaps beat the Rattlers 4-1 for the second night in a row. Mike Hernandez hit a two run homer off Nick Allen in the bottom of the second inning and that was all Whitecap starting pitcher Sendy Vasquez needed for his fifth win of the season.

OPPORTUNITY KNOCKED: Last night, the Rattlers had a runner at second with no outs in the first inning and the bases loaded with one out in the second inning. Both innings ended on double plays.

TWO-OUT BINGO: Hernandez hit his home run with two outs in the second on a 1-2 pitch. He fouled off three straight 1-2 pitches before crushing his fifth homer of the year for the Whitecaps.

LATE RALLY DENIED: The Rattlers loaded the bases with two outs in the top of the eighth inning, but Loren Fraser got a strikeout for the final out of the inning to squash the Rattler comeback attempt.

CLOSING TIME: Anthony Claggett struck out the side in order in the ninth to finish off the game and get his fifth save of the season.

LOWER THIRD: The 7-8-9 hitters in the Rattler lineup last night were a combined 0-for-10. Only number seven hitter Michael Saunders reached base, a second inning walk.

STILL GOING: Alex Gary had a pair of hits last night to extend his hitting streak to eight games. Gary had a six game hitting streak going before he was hurt on April 24. After missing more than two months, Gary has three hits in eight at bats in his first two games back with the Rattlers.

GOOD-BYE TO JUNE: Wisconsin went 10-17 in June. Opponents outscored the Rattlers 121-94.

MEET THE NEW GUY: The Rattlers have added pitcher Austin Bibens-Dirkx to the roster for tonight. He was the 16th round pick of the Mariners in the 2006 draft out of the University of Portland. Bibens-Dirkx was 1-5 with a 4.19 ERA in 26 games (five starts) for the Pilots. Since signing with the Mariners, Bibens-Dirkx has pitched for both the Tacoma Rainiers in the PCL and the Everett AquaSox of the NWL. He made one relief appearance for the Rainiers and pitched two scoreless innings with five strikeouts. Bibens-Dirkx made three relief appearances for a total of four innings with a save, no runs allowed, and six strikeouts for Everett before joining the Rattlers.

OPPOSING STARTING PITCHER: Josh Rainwater was the fourth round pick of the Tigers in the 2003 draft out of Deridder (LA) High School. He was 3-7 in sixteen starts for the Whitecaps in 2005. Rainwater started the season with Lakeland in the Florida State League, but returned to the Whitecaps after going 0-2 with a 6.17ERA for the Tigers. Tonight will be his third start of 2006 for West Michigan. He lost his last start when the South Bend Silver Hawks got to him for six runs on eight hits over four innings on June 26. Tonight, Rainwater is making his first appearance against the Rattlers this season. Last year, the Rattlers knocked Rainwater around for six runs on six hits over two innings to tag him with the loss on August 14 at Fifth Third Ballpark.