Game Notes -- 7/12

ABOUT THE OPPONENTS: The Lansing Lugnuts are the Midwest League affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays. They are 10-9 in the second half of the season and 45-43 overall. The Lugnuts did not qualify for the playoffs in the first half. They are tied with South Bend for second place in the Eastern Division.

THE SEASON SERIES: The Rattlers went 1-3 in a four game series against the Lugnuts at Time Warner Cable Field at Fox Cities Stadium May 17-20. The Rattlers won the first game of the series 4-3. The Lugnuts won the final three games of the series 11-0, 7-4, and 2-1.

LAST YEAR OVER HERE: The Timber Rattlers went 1-3 against the Lugnuts at Oldsmobile Park in 2006. Lansing won the first two games of that series on June 10 and 11. Wisconsin took game three 4-2, but the Lugnuts won the final game 6-2.

PROSPECTING: BASEBALL AMERICA places two members of the active Lansing roster on their list of Top 30 prospects in the Toronto organization. Pitchers Graham Godfrey and Kyle Ginley are rated at #18 and #19 by BA.

ALSO ON THE LIST: The Lugnuts have four members of the BASEBALL AMERICA top 30 list who are inactive, but still on their roster. Travis Snider is rated #2 by BA, but will serve a three-game suspension at the start of the series against the Timber Rattlers. Snider is sitting out for his participation in a bench-clearing brawl at West Michigan early in the second half. Pitchers Chi-Hung Chen (#13) and Chase Lirette (#30) along with outfielder Brian Pettway (#22) are on the Lugnut disabled list.

SERVING TIME: Lansing outfielder Matt Lane is currently serving a ten-game suspension for his part in the brawl with the Whitecaps. Lane will not play in this series.

OPPOSING STARTER: Nate Starner was signed by the Blue Jays as a non-drafted free agent after the 2006 draft out of Shippensburg University. Starner was exclusively a relief pitcer in his first professional season. He appeared in 24 games for the Pulaski Blue Jays of the Appalachian League and was 1-4 with four saves and an ERA of 3.28. He made three relief appearances for the Auburn Doubledays in the New York-Penn League at the end of the season with no record and a 3.86ERA. He has won two straight decisions, including a victory over the South Bend Silver Hawks on July 5 in which he allowed one run on five hits over six innings. Starner pitched five no-hit innings against the Rattlers on May 18. He walked two and struck out eight and picked up the win in an 11-0 Lugnut victory.