LAST ACTION: The Timber Rattlers were beaten by the Kane County Cougars 3-1. Haas Pratt’s two-run single in the bottom of the fifth inning gave the Cougars a 2-1 lead. The Rattlers scored an unearned run in the top of the sixth, but Kane County got another run in the bottom of the sixth to account for the final score. Scott Moore pitched a scoreless ninth for his second save in as many days.
SWEPT AWAY: The Cougars swept a two game series from the Rattlers at Elfstrom Stadium. Kane County won on Monday 3-0.
ONE STREAK CONTINUES: Kuo Hui Lo extended his hitting streak to nine games with a seventh inning single. Lo is 13-for-32 (.375) during the streak. He has tied Greg Halman for the longest hitting streak by a Rattler batter this season.
ONE STREAK ENDS: Wisconsin reliever Joe Kantakevich allowed a lead-off double in the bottom of the sixth inning to Jermaine Mitchell. That ended Kantakevich’s streak of 21 consecutive batters retired over four appearances.
EMERGENCY: Ricky Orta was the scheduled starting pitcher for the Rattlers on Tuesday. However, Orta developed a cut on his finger while warming up in the bullpen before the game. Kyle Parker was pressed into service as the starting pitcher and went 4-2/3 innings allowed two runs on five hits with four walks and three strikeouts. He was also charged with the loss. Orta has been placed on the disabled list.
MOODY TUESDAY BLUES: The Rattlers are 0-8 on Tuesday’s this season.
THE KANE COUNTY CURSE: Going back to 2005, the Rattlers are 3-11 in their last fourteen games at Elfstrom Stadium. That record does not include a four game sweep that season by the Rattlers May 23-26 at Kane County.
OTHER MOVES: Halman was given a three-game suspension as part of one of the bench clearing incidents at South Bend on May 5th.
ABOUT THE OPPONENTS: The Lansing Lugnuts are the Midwest League affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays. They are currently 18-17 and in third place in the Eastern Division of the Midwest League. Lansing trails the first place Dayton Dragons by 9-1/2 games. In their most recent series, the Lugnuts dropped three out of four games in a home-and-home series with the South Bend Silver Hawks. Earlier this season, Lansing had a ten game winning streak, but they are 3-7 in their last ten games. The Lugnuts are managed by Gary Cathcart.
LAST SEASON: The Rattlers and Lugnuts faced each other eight times in 2006. Lansing won the season series 5-3. The two teams split a four game series in Grand Chute. That series featured three shutouts. On July 7, Lansing won game one of that series 6-0. The Rattlers took game three on July 9 by a score of 3-0. Lansing won the finale on July 10 with a 4-0 shutout of the Rattlers.
PROSPECTING: BASEBALL AMERICA has placed six members of the active Lansing roster on their list of top 30 prospects in the Toronto organization. A seventh, pitcher Chi-Hung Chen (#13) is currently on the Lansing disabled list. The highest rated active Lugnut is outfielder Travis Snider at number two. Pitchers Graham Godfrey (#18), Kyle Ginley (#19), Paul Phillips (#21), and Chase Lirette (#29) are all on the list. The only other position player on BA’s Top 30 list is outfielder Brian Pettway at #22.
OPPOSING STARTER: Chase Lirette was a 16th round pick of the Blue Jays in the 2006 draft out of the University of South Florida. He made his professional debut for Auburn in the New York-Penn League after signing with the Toronto organization. He went 4-1 with a save and an ERA of 2.23 in ten games (six starts). He walked just seven and struck out 37 in 40-1/3 innings of work at Auburn last season. In his last start for the Lugnuts this season, Lirette took the loss against Quad Cities on May 11. The Swing got to him for seven runs (four earned) on seven hits over 6-1/3 innings. In that game, Lirette walked four and struck out three. This is his first appearance against the Timber Rattlers and his first appearance against an affiliate of the Seattle Mariners.
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