ABOUT LAST NIGHT: The Timber Rattlers lost their eighth straight game with a 5-2 defeat at Southwest Michigan. Marinette, Wisconsin native Greg Reinhard allowed two runs on one hit over 5-1/3 innings for the win. Matt Devins drove in a pair of runs for the Devil Rays.
WISCONSIN HIGHLIGHT: Shortstop Robby Hudson hit his first professional home run last night. Hudson hit a solo homer in the top of the fourth inning for the only hit off Reinhard. Hudson also drove in the other Rattler run.
WINLESS ROAD TRIP: The Rattlers were swept in a four game series at West Michigan and a four game set at Southwest Michigan to go 0-8. The last time the Rattlers did not win a game on a road trip of more than four games was June 20-26, 2002. That Rattler team was 0-7 in a four game series at Kane County and a three game series at Clinton.
OTHER BAD TRIPS: In 2004, the Rattlers were 1-7 on an eight game trip and 2-10 on a twelve game trip. The worst trip for the 2005 Timber Rattlers was a 3-5 trip to South Bend and Southwest Michigan April 28-May 5.
SEASON LONG LOSING STREAK: The loss last night extended the current Rattler losing streak to eight games. Wisconsin’s record has also fallen to a season low fifteen games under .500 (29-56).
APPROACHING HISTORY: The longest losing streak in Timber Rattler history was in 2002. That team had a twelve game skid from July 1-14. That team started the second half 2-20. That 2002 squad has the worst record in Timber Rattler history. They finished the season 53-86.
OFFENSIVE: The Rattlers have not scored more than four runs in any of the games in this losing streak. Only once in the first fifteen games of this half have the Rattlers scored more than four runs, in a 5-1 win over the Peoria Chiefs at Fox Cities Stadium on June 28.
LONG, LONG WAY FROM HOME: The Rattlers have lost twelve straight road games. The 2002 team lost thirteen straight road games to start the second half. The next chance for the Rattlers to pick up a road win is July 12 at Peoria.
ABOUT THE OPPONENTS: The Lansing Lugnuts are the Midwest League affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays. Lansing was the first half Eastern Division Wild Card with a record of 40-27. The Lugnuts are off to a 6-9 start in the second half of the season. They have lost five straight games and were just swept in a four game series at home by the West Michigan Whitecaps.
VS. LANSING IN ’06: The Lugnuts lead the season series 3-1. The teams met June 10-13 at Oldsmobile Park in Lansing. The Lugnuts won the first two games of the series with 4-2 and7-4. Wisconsin won game three 4-2 and Lansing took the final game of the series 6-2.
LAST YEAR IN WISCONSIN: Lansing was 3-1 in a four game series at Fox Cities Stadium August 19-22.
PROSPECTING: BASEBALL AMERICA places four members of the current Lansing roster on their list of Top 30 Blue Jay Prospects. Pitcher Chi-Hung Chen is the highest rated prospect at #14. Three outfielders for Lansing are also on the list: Brian Pettway (#19), Yuber Rodriguez (#25), and Jacob Butler (#29).
WISCONSIN’S OWN: Bloomfield native Jordan Timm is a reliever for the Lugnuts. He pitched his college baseball for the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh and was a 14th round pick of Toronto in 2004. He pitched in eighteen games (four starts) for the Lugnuts last season. Timm was 2-0 with five saves and an ERA of 2.47.
OPPOSING STARTING PITCHER: Chi-Hung Cheng was signed as a non-drafted free agent out of Taiwan in November of 2003. He was 7-6 with a 3.15ERA for the Lugnuts last season. Cheng got a no decision against the Rattlers on June 10 at Oldsmobile Park. In that game, he went six innings and allowed two runs on four hits with seven strikeouts. Chen got a no decision in his last start. He gave up four runs (none earned) in six innings against Clinton on July 2 at home.
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