ABOUT MONDAY: The Rattlers were shutout 4-0 by the Lansing Lugnuts. Aaron Tressler allowed four hits, hit three batters, and walked one, but got his sixth win of the season. Joey Metropoulos homered and had another hit for the Lugnuts. Wisconsin’s offense managed seven hits total, but could not cross the plate.
ODD COINCIDENCE: The Rattlers shutout the Lugnuts 3-0 on Sunday for their second shutout of the season. The only other shutout this season by the Timber Rattlers was on May 16 at Kane County. On May 17, the Cougars shutout the Rattlers 2-0.
NICE START: Rattler starting pitcher Nick Allen scattered eight hits over six scoreless innings to give the Rattlers a chance. Allen walked two and struck out four for a no decision.
LOOK OUT! Rattler shortstop Robby Hudson was hit twice by pitches from Tressler. The incidents occurred in his first and second plate appearances of the game.
I AM SUPERMAN: In the four game series against the Rattlers, Metropoulos was 8-for-14 with three doubles and a homer. He also walked four times.
0-FER: Rattler reliever Roman Martinez is 0-4 this season. He allowed the first run of the game on Monday. Martinez hit number nine hitter Anthony Garibaldi, who went to third on a hit-and-run single by Jason Armstrong. Garibaldi scored the only run the Lugnuts would need on an RBI ground out by Jacob Butler.
SPLITSVILLE: The Rattlers had a chance to win the series against the Lugnuts with a victory on Monday. Instead, Wisconsin lost the game and split the four game series. The Rattlers are 17-28 at Fox Cities Stadium this season. In twelve home series this season, the Rattlers have won one, split three, and lost eight.
LONG, LONG WAY FROM HOME: The Rattlers enter tonight’s game with the Chiefs on a twelve game road losing streak. Wisconsin is 0-8 on the road in the second half and has not won away from Fox Cities Stadium since winning game one of a doubleheader at John O’Donnell Stadium on June 15.
ABOUT THE OPPONENTS: The Peoria Chiefs are the Midwest League affiliate of the Chicago Cubs. The Chiefs are in the Midwest League Playoffs as the first half Western Division Champions. They finished the first half with a 41-28 record. Peoria is off to an 11-8 start in the second half. Former Major League catcher Jody Davis is the manager of the Chiefs.
VS. PEORIA IN ’06: The Rattlers trail the season series 3-4. In the most recent series between the squads, the Chiefs took two out of three from the Rattlers June 26-28. This is the first meeting of the season between the Rattlers and Peoria at O’Brien Field.
LAST YEAR IN PEORIA: Wisconsin was 5-3 at O’Brien Field last season. The last time the Rattlers were in Peoria was July 11, 2005 and Wisconsin stormed back from an 11-2 deficit after six innings to beat the Chiefs 12-11 in ten innings. Wisconsin scored five in the seventh and four in the ninth to tie the game.
PROSPECTING: BASEBALL AMERICA Top 30 list of Cub prospects has just two current Chiefs on it. Catcher Mark Reed (#19) and shortstop Dylan Johnston (#27) are the only Chief players on that list. The Chiefs have eight members of the 2005 Cub draft class on their roster: Johnston (4th Round), Scott Taylor (5th), Kyle Reynolds (6th), Matt Avery (9th), Yusuf Carter (12th), Roger Evenson (15th), and Davy Gregg (12th). Peoria has one member of Chicago’s 2006 draft class on their roster, Ryne Malone (49th).
OPPOSING STARTING PITCHER: Todd Blackford was a 13th round pick of the Atlanta Braves in the 2004 draft out of Triton High School in Bourbon, Indiana. Blackford came to the Cubs organization in August of 2005 as part of the trade that sent Todd Hollandsworth to the Braves. Blackford was 6-2 with a 3.97ERA in the first half for the Chiefs. Blacford is 2-0 against the Rattlers in 2006. He has not allowed the Rattlers to score in twelve innings against him this season. The Rattlers have as many hits (8) as they do strikeouts (8) against Blackford this season. In his last start for Peoria, Blackford beat Clinton on July 6 at O’Brien Field. The LumberKings got on unearned run on three hits over seven innings. Blackford struck out five and walked none for his eighth win of the season.
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