ABOUT LAST NIGHT: The Timber Rattlers beat the Chiefs 6-4. Jose Escalona gave up two runs – none earned for the win. Robby Hudson had three hits, including a homer. Luis Valbuena and Jeff Flaig each had two RBI for the Rattlers.
JOSE, CAN YOU SEE? Escalona’s win was his first since May 1 against the West Michigan Whitecaps at Fox Cities Stadium. He had been 0-7 with five no decisions since that start. Last night against the Chiefs, Escalona scattered six hits over 5-1/3 innings with one walk and six strikeouts.
POWERING UP: After not hitting a home run in his first 121 games as a professional, Hudson has hit three homers in his last seven games. The Rattler shortstop had a single, homer, and double in his first three at bats last night.
FORTUNATE BOUNCE: Flaig had a two-out, two-run double in the top of the fourth inning that put the Rattlers up 3-0. The double was a chopper down the third base line that hit the base and bounded into left field allowing two runs to score.
LIKE A GOOD NEIGHBOR: The Chiefs pulled to within 3-2 on a couple of unearned runs in the fifth inning. Valbuena gave the Rattlers a couple of insurance runs with a two-out, two-run single to run in the top of the seventh for a 5-2 lead.
IT GOT INTERESTING: The Rattlers took a 6-2 lead after an Eddy Hernandez sacrifice fly in the top of the eighth. The Chiefs collected three hits, two walks, and two runs off reliever Brian Cappel in the bottom of the ninth inning. Peoria had the bases loaded with one out and Mark Reed at the plate. Cappel ended the game by getting Reed to ground into a 4-6-3 double play.
BACK-TO-BACK: By taking the first two games in this series, the Rattlers have won two straight road games for the first time since May 5-6 at Cedar Rapids. Also, with one game remaining in the three game set with the Chiefs, Wisconsin has guaranteed only their second road series win of the season.
GETTING OFFENSIVE: The Rattlers have scored at least six runs in each of the first two games of the series. Wisconsin had scored more than five runs in a game only one other time in the first nineteen games of the half.
OPPOSING STARTING PITCHER: Mitch Atkins was the 7th round pick of the Cubs in the 2004 draft out of Northeast Guilford High School in Browns Summit, NC. Atkins is making his first appearance against the Rattlers. He did face Everett, the Northwest League affiliate of the Mariners, twice last season as a pitcher for the Boise Hawks. In ten innings, he allowed four runs on ten hits and went 0-1. In his last start for the Chiefs, Atkins gave up four runs on four hits with four walks, and four strikeouts over 4-2/3 innings against the Beloit Snappers for a loss on July 9.
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