ABOUT LAST NIGHT: The Wizards routed the Rattlers 14-3. David Freese drove in five runs to lead the way for the Fort Wayne offense. Ron Garth knocked in all three Rattler runs.

FIRST WIN: Fort Wayne starting pitcher Wade LeBlanc allowed three runs over five innings for his first Midwest League win in his second start for the Wizards.

LONG SAVE: Grant Varnell pitched four shutout innings for his first save of the season.

FIRST OUT OF THE GATE: The first four batters of the game reached base against Rattler starting pitcher David Asher. Will Venable drove in the first run of the game with a single. Freese followed with a two-run double and scored later in the inning on a single by Daryl Jones for a 4-0 lead before the Rattlers ever took a swing.

SEVEN IN THE FOURTH: The first four Wizard hitters of the fourth inning reached against Asher to knock him out of the game. Juan Colon entered and promptly gave up another two-run double to Freese. Colon threw a wild pitch that allowed Freese to score all the way from second and it was 10-3. Later in the inning, Mike Sansoe drove in a pair of runs with a single for a 12-3 lead.

WELCOME BACK: In his first appearance off the DL, Wisconsin reliever Ruben Flores walked a batter and struck out three in a scoreless inning.

NEW LEADER: Garth took over sole possession of the Timber Rattler home run lead with his sixth of the season. Garth’s two run shot in the bottom of the third pulled the Rattlers to within 5-3. Garth’s three RBI last night gives him 38 on the season and he is tied with Luis Valbuena, who has been promoted to Inland Empire, for the team lead in that category.

SEASON LOW: The loss yesterday dropped the Rattlers to 39-71 on the season. This is a season low thirty-two games under .500 for the season.

THROUGH THE ROTATION: In the last five games, Wisconsin starting pitchers have lasted a total of 22-1/3 innings, a average of less than five innings a start.

UNFRIENDLY CONFINES: The Rattlers are 20-34 at Fox Cities Stadium this season.

OPPOSING STARTING PITCHER: Greg Burke was signed by the Padres as a minor league free agent off the roster of the Atlantic City Surf of the Independent Atlantic League. Burke signed with the Surf after going undrafted out of Duke University in 2005. He was 5-9 with a 5.90 ERA in his final season with the Blue Devils. In his first year with the Surf, Burke went 1-2 with a 3.70ERA in twenty-five games (one start). He began 2006 with Lake Elsinore, the California League affiliate of the Padres, and went 2-1 with a 5.79ERA in twelve relief appearances. His first game for the Wizards was on May 14 and he has made eighteen appearances (eleven starts). His last start was a no decision against the Southwest Michigan Devil Rays on July 29. Burke got a no decision for a seven inning performance in which he allowed two runs on nine hits without a walk and with seven strikeouts. This is his first appearance against the Timber Rattlers.