Game Notes -- 6/4

ABOUT SUNDAY: The Swing beat the Rattlers 4-2. Brandon Buckman’s two run homer in the top of the fifth inning broke a 1-1 tie.

WILD TIMES: The Rattlers took a 1-0 lead in the first inning. Alex Meneses drew a leadoff walk against Swing starting pitcher Blake King. Meneses stole second, stole third, and scored on a wild pitch. King walked three more batters in the inning, but also struck out the side.

EARLY LEADS: The Rattlers have scored first in six straight games. Their record in 1-5 in those six games.

HITLESS FOR A BIT: Neither team had a hit through the first four innings. Quad Cities got their first hit off Rattler starter Anthony Varvaro on a Daryl Jones RBI single in the top of the fifth to tie the game. Wisconsin’s first hit came on a leadoff double by Jair Fernandez in the bottom of the fifth off Brandon Dickson, the third pitcher of the game for the Swing.

A BUCKMAN BLAST: Buckman’s homer came on a 2-2 pitch against Varvaro. Buckman fouled off four two strike pitches in the at bat before hitting his league leading twelfth home run of the season. Buckman also leads the Midwest League in RBI (47) and hits (72). He is also third in the league in the batting average race (.336).

THAT’S WEIRD: The Rattler pitchers combined to allow just three hits yesterday. It was the fourth time this season opponents have had three hits in a game. Yesterday was also the second time this season, the opponents have beaten the Rattlers with only three hits.

SEARCHING FOR A HIT: Rattler outfielder Kalian Sams was 0-for-4 yesterday. He is hitless in his last 23 at bats.

SEASON HIGH: Leury Bonilla singled in the sixth inning to give him a five-game hitting streak. Bonilla’s current hitting streak is his longest of the season.

SEASON LOW: Wisconsin is at 17-38 this season. This is the first time in 2007 they have been 21 games under .500.

OPPOSING STARTER: Elvis Hernandez was signed as a non-drafted free agent by the Cardinals in 2005. Last season, Hernandez was 3-3 with a 3.48ERA in thirteen starts for the Johnson City Cardinals of the Appalachian League. In his last appearance for the Swing, he picked up the win with 3-2/3 scoreless innings with three hits, three walks, and four strikeouts against Clinton on May 31. His last start was on May 27 and Hernandez gave up two runs on ten hits in 4-1/3 innings with no walks and four strikeouts. He got a no decision in that start against the Beloit Snappers. This is Hernandez’s first appearance against the Timber Rattlers and his first appearance against an affiliate of the Seattle Mariners.