Game Notes -- 8/20

ABOUT SUNDAY: The Rattlers were swept in a doubleheader by the Cedar Rapids Kernels. Cedar Rapids beat the Rattlers 5-4 in game one and 3-1 in game two. Mark Trumbo hit a homer in both games for the Kernels.

GAME ONE REVIEW: Kernel starting pitcher Trevor Bell pitched six innings and allowed three runs on seven hits for the win. Trumbo hit his first home run of the day in the first inning off Major League rehabber Cha Seung Baek. The Rattlers tied the game with a two-run double by Jamie McOwen in the bottom of the fourth. The teams traded runs in the fifth inning. Ryan Mount put the Kernels up 5-3 with a two-out, two-run double in the sixth. Wisconsin would get a run and have the tying and winning runs on base in the seventh inning against Warner Madrigal, but would not score again.

GAME TWO REVIEW: The Kernels scored in the second inning and Reed Eastley tied the game with an RBI single in the third. But, Trumbo homered in the fourth and Stantrel Smith homered in the fifth off Ricky Orta to give David Herndon all the runs he would need. Herndon pitched six innings for his eleventh win of the season. Barrett Browning got the final three outs for the save.

MAJOR LEAGUE: Baek pitched 3-2/3 innings and was taken out of the game just before reaching his pitch limit of 60. Baek struck out six and allowed two runs on five hits in the game.

BEAMON BREAKS THROUGH: Rattler outfielder Calvin Beamon had five hits and hit his second home run of the season yesterday. Beamon was 3-for-4 with a homer and two RBI in game one and 2-for-3 with a stolen base and a run scored in game two. He bumped his average from .235 to .253 with the 5-for-7 day.

WHITE OUT: Rattler first baseman Joe White extended his hitting streak to 15 games with a single in game one yesterday. But, he was 0-for-3 in game two and his streak ended at 15.

PRONE TO THE GOPHER BALL: Ricky Orta was the starting pitcher in game two yesterday. He allowed both homers and has given up 12 home runs in 86-1/3 innings to lead the Rattlers in that category.

ABOUT THE OPPONENTS: The Peoria Chiefs are the Midwest League affiliate of the Chicago Cubs. They are 61-63 overall. In the second half, Peoria is 30-25 and they hold the Western Division Wild Card lead by one game over the Cedar Rapids Kernels. In their most recent series, the Chiefs dropped a pair of games to Clinton. Overall, Peoria has lost four straight. The Chiefs are managed by Ryne Sandberg.

THE SEASON SERIES: The Rattlers are 6-7 against Peoria this season. At Time Warner Cable Field at Fox Cities Stadium, the Rattlers are 2-2. This is the first time Peoria has been to Grand Chute since May 12 and 13.

COMPARE & CONTRAST: The Rattlers are tied for 12th in the Midwest League in team batting average (.247). Peoria is tied for 9th (.250). Wisconsin has scored 481 runs (13th) compared to 505 (11th) for the Chiefs. Wisconsin has 62 home runs (13th) while the Chiefs have 52 to place 14th. Wisconsin’s pitching staff has an ERA of 4.10 (10th). Peoria pitchers have an ERA of 4.16 (12th).

PROSPECTING: BASEBALL AMERICA put no members of the active Peoria roster on their list of Top 30 list of Cub prospects in the 2007 edition of the Prospect Handbook. Infielder Josh Lansford is on the list at number 20, but he is currently on the disabled list.

OUT OF THE DRAFT: There are seven members of the 2007 Chicago Cub draft class on the current Peoria roster. They are: Pitchers Casey Lambert (6th, Virginia) and Chris Siegfried (11th, Portland); infielders Darwin Barney (4th, Oregon State) and Marquez Smith (8th, Clemson); and outfielders Leon Johnson (10th, BYU), Brian Leclerc (31st, Florida), and Ty Wright (7th, Oklahoma State). There are also two 2007 free agent signings on the current Peoria roster; pitcher Michael Bartek (Nicholls State) and infielder Derek Schimmerhorn (Wichita State).

PEORIA STARTER: Marco Carillo was signed as a non-drafted free agent out of Mexico in 2005. He made his Midwest League debut against the Timber Rattlers on August 30, 2006. The Rattlers got to him for six runs (five earned) on seven hits in three innings. Carrillo has faced Wisconsin four times (three starts) this season. He is 1-1 with a 6.48ERA with 17 strikeouts in 16-2/3 innings. In his last start, Carrillo beat Kane County. He allowed one run on four hits over 5-1/3 innings with two walks and three strikeouts at O’Brien Field.