ABOUT SUNDAY: The Whitecaps defeated the Timber Rattlers 8-2 and sent Wisconsin to their fourth straight loss. The game was tied 1-1 heading to the bottom of the fifth. Jeramy Laster hit a home run to center off Rattler starting pitcher Tony Butler. In the bottom of the seventh, West Michigan scored another run to go ahead 3-1. Luis Nunez singled in a Rattler run in the top of the eighth to make the score 3-2. But, three Rattler errors and four Whitecap hits in the bottom of the eighth led to five runs*** a comfortable margin of victory for the Caps.
UNFORTUNATE EIGHTH: Santo De Leon started the bottom of the eighth with a double. James Skelton was next and grounded to second, but Nunez’s throw to first pulled Alex Liddi off the bag for an error. Laster was next and he grounded to Liddi. The Rattler first baseman decided to go to the plate with the throw and threw wildly for the second error and Skelton took third. Audy Ciriaco hit a for sure double play ball to shortstop Carlos Triunfel, but the ball went between Triunfel’s legs for an error and another run. Gorkys Hernandez, Louis Ott, and Ryan Strieby followed with RBI singles to put the game out of reach.
LEADING OFF: Triunfel got the start in the leadoff spot in the Rattler batting order for the first time this season yesterday. He went 0-for-4.
DOUBLE UP: Leury Bonilla doubled in the fifth inning yesterday. It was his sixth of the season and he is tied for the Midwest League lead in that category.
ANOTHER LEADER: Greg Halman stole a base yesterday and is tied for the Midwest League lead in that category.
SIXTH AT FIFTH THIRD: The Rattlers have lost six straight games to the Whitecaps at Fifth Third Ballpark. The last time a Rattler team won at West Michigan was August 14, 2005.
THE WHOLE STATE IS TROUBLE: Wisconsin has lost eleven straight games in the state of Michigan. The Rattlers lost the final game of a series at Lansing on June 13, 2006. West Michigan and Southwest Michigan each swept a four game series from the Rattlers June 29-July 6. Now, the Whitecaps have won the first two games of this series.
OPPOSING STARTER: Jonah Nickerson was the 7th round pick of the Tigers in the 2006 draft out of Oregon State University. He was 13-4 with a 2.24ERA and 131 strikeouts for the 2006 College World Series Beavers. Nickerson was named Most Outstanding Player of the CWS. He made five relief appearances for Oneonta in the New York-Penn League with no record and a 2.77 ERA. In his last start for West Michigan, Nickerson beat South Bend. On April 16, he allowed two runs on five hits over 6-2/3 innings. Nickerson struck out five and walked none. This is his first appearance against the Timber Rattlers and against an affiliate of the Mariners.
***Based on eyewitness accounts at the game only one of the five runs in the eighth inning should be earned. But, the stats company in New York charged two earned runs to the Rattlers in that inning. The issue is being worked on and should hopefully be resolved tomorrow.
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