ABOUT LAST NIGHT: The Rattlers lost 5-4 in ten innings at West Michigan. The Rattlers trailed 4-1 going into the top of the ninth inning. Alex Gary blasted a three-run homer with one out to tie the game. The Whitecaps scored the winning run with two out in the bottom of the tenth innings on a bases loaded single by Cory Middleton.
SWEPT AWAY: The Whitecaps swept a four game series from the Timber Rattlers at Fifth Third Ballpark. That was the first four game sweep of the Rattlers this season. The only other sweep by an opponent was a three game sweep by Cedar Rapids at Fox Cities Stadium April 13-15.
NO DECISION: Rattler starting pitcher Jose Escalona got a no decision last night. He pitched five innings, allowed two runs (one earned) on four hits. In his last eleven starts, Escalona is 0-6 with five no decisions.
UNEARNED: The Rattler offense committed two errors that led to a pair of unearned runs for the Whitecaps last night. The Timber Rattlers have committed 111 errors this season and opponents have scored 81 unearned runs.
NO GO ON THE O: The Rattlers scored four runs in the loss yesterday. They had scored a combined four runs in the first three games of the series with the Whitecaps. Wisconsin has scored more than four runs in a game just once this half.
EXTRA INNING BLUES: The Rattlers lost their second straight extra inning game of the second half. Wisconsin is 3-5 in eight extra inning games this season.
STILL ON THE STREAK: Gary extended his hitting streak to nine games with his home run. Gary has at least one hit in his three games since returning from the disabled list. He had a six game streak before going on the DL in late April.
POWER PLAY: The home run by Gary was the first home run the Rattlers have hit on the road since June 13 at Lansing, a stretch of eight games.
WATCH FOR THE DOUBLE PLAY: The Rattler offense had six double plays turned against them in the West Michigan series. In the first eleven games of the second half, Wisconsin had hit into twelve twin killings.
ABOUT THE OPPONENTS: The Southwest Michigan Devil Rays are the Midwest League affiliate of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. Southwest Michigan finished the first half of the season 33-37 and missed the playoffs. Southwest Michigan is 3-8 in the second half. They won their first game of this half, but lost the next eight in a row. The Devil Rays have won two straight heading into the series with the Rattlers.
VS. WEST MICHIGAN IN ’06: The Rattlers and Devil Rays split a four game series at Fox Cities Stadium in April. Southwest Michigan won the first two games of the series and the Rattlers took the final two games. The Rattlers won the final two games of the series.
PROSPECTING: BASEBALL AMERICA has three members of the current Southwest Michigan roster on their Top 30 list of Tampa Bay prospects. All three are pitchers. Wade Davis is the highest rated Southwest Michigan Devil Ray on the list at #6. Matt Walker is next at #9. Jake McGee is on the list at #16. The Devil Rays have six members of their 2005 draft class on the Southwest Michigan roster. Starting pitchers Greg Reinhard (6th round) and Mike Wlodarczyk (7th) round are joined by pitcher Jeff Kamrath (11th), infielder Neil Walton (16th), infielder Matt Devins (34th), and outfielder Garrett Groce (41st). The Devil Rays have no members of Tampa’s 2006 draft on their roster.
OPPOSING STARTING PITCHER: Jacob McGee was the 5th round pick of the Devil Rays in the 2004 draft out of Reed High School in Sparks, Nevada. In his last start, McGee lost at Dayton. The Dragons got to him for five runs on six hits over two innings on June 28. McGee beat the Rattlers in his only appearance against them. On April 18 at Fox Cities Stadium, McGee shutout Wisconsin on four hits over six innings and struck out eight in a 4-1 Southwest Michigan win. McGee was the winning pitcher in the 2006 Midwest League All-Star Game for the Eastern Division after he tossed a scoreless second inning.
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