Game Notes for 7/2

ABOUT LAST NIGHT: The Whitecaps crushed the Rattlers 10-2. Mike Hernandez homered and drove in five runs. Josh Rainwater pitched six shutout innings, struck out six, walked one, and gave up just two hits.

MAN ON SECOND: For the third game in a row, Luis Valbuena reached second base to start the game. He doubled on Thursday, made it to second on an error on Friday, and doubled again last night. The only game in which he scored was Thursday night.

HITTING HEROES: Last night, Pedro Cotto had four hits and scored four runs for the Whitecaps. Will Rhymes had three hits, including a homer, and knocked in two runs. Seven of the nine Whitecaps in the lineup had at least one hit.

EJECT! EJECT! EJECT! Rattler shortstop Robby Hudson was tossed for arguing a call at second on a stolen base by Rhymes in the first inning. That was the first ejection of a Timber Rattler player this season.

LOOK OUT! Edgar Guaramato hit two batters in the seventh inning last night. He has hit eleven batters in 36-2/3 innings. As a staff, the Timber Rattlers lead the Midwest League in hit batsmen with 83.

GET HIM IN THERE: Pitcher Austin Bibens-Dirkx joined the team on Saturday and got into the game right away. The 16th round pick of the Mariners in the 2006 draft pitched a scoreless eighth.

RED-HOT HERNANDEZ: Eddy Hernandez was 2-for-2 with a walk last night. He is 5-for-6 in the two games he has played in this series with West Michigan.

22 CALIBRE: The loss yesterday dropped Wisconsin to 29-51, a season low twenty-two games under .500 for the season

WHERE’S THE OFFENSE? Wisconsin got their two runs last night on a two-out, two-run double by Jeff Flaig in the top of the eighth inning. The Rattlers have scored more than four runs in only one of the first ten games of the second half. Wisconsin has been outscored 54-21 so far in half number two.

OPPOSING STARTING PITCHER: Erik Averill was the 20th round pick of the Tigers in the 2005 draft out of Arizona State University. He beat the Rattlers in game one of a doubleheader at Fox Cities Stadium on May 1. In that game, he allowed four runs on eight hits over five innings in a 9-4 Whitecap win. Averill has won his last three decisions, including his last start. He beat the South Bend Silver Hawks on June 27 at Fifth Third Ballpark. Averill allowed three runs on eight hits over 6-2/3 innings with two walks and two strikeouts.