ABOUT LAST NIGHT: The Cedar Rapids Kernels beat the Timber Rattlers 6-0 on Dale and Thomas Popcorn Field at Veterans Memorial Stadium. Robert Fish pitched seven innings; allowed five hits; and struck out five for the win. Gordie Gronkowski, Jay Brossman, and Jeremy Moore each had two hits and two RBI for the Kernels.
NO RUNS: Last night, the Rattlers were shutout for the fifth time this season. It was the third time in the last five games Wisconsin has been held without a run.
FIRST PRINCIPLES: Rattler starting pitcher Nathan Adcock got into trouble in the first inning. He hit Clay Fuller to start the inning. Andrew Romine doubled to put runners at second and third. Brossman followed with a two-run double. Brossman was thrown out trying to steal third for the first out of the inning. Efren Navarro followed with a single. Then, Gordie Gronkowski hit a two-run homer for a 4-0 lead.
SHORT START: Adcock worked out of a bases loaded jam in the bottom of the second inning, but he did not return for the third. In Adcock’s shortest start as a Timber Rattler, he allowed four runs on four hits with two walks, two hit batsmen, two wild pitches, and four strikeouts.
*IF YOU SEE A CHANCE, TAKE IT: The best opportunity for the Rattlers to score against Fish came in the sixth inning. They loaded the bases with two outs on an error, a single, and a walk. But, Fish got the final out to keep the shutout intact.
THE SERIES GONE BY: The Kernels took three out of four games from the Rattlers. Cedar Rapids beat the Rattlers 2-0 on Monday, 11-6 on Tuesday, and 6-0 last night. The Rattlers won game three of the series on Wednesday 1-0. The Rattlers hit .176 (21-for-119) and scored just seven runs (1.8/game) in the series. Cedar Rapids hit .236 (29-for-123) and scored 19 runs (4.8/game).
STARTERS MATCHUP: In the four game series, Wisconsin starting pitchers allowed five earned runs on 13 hits over 19-2/3 innings. Cedar Rapids starters allowed two runs (neither earned) on 10 hits over 27 innings.
**ROAD TRIP: The Timber Rattlers are in the middle of a 12-game, 13-day road trip. After this four game series with the Chiefs, the Rattlers have a four game series at Kane County. Wisconsin is 8-12 in 20 road games so far this season.
ABOUT THE OPPONENTS: The Peoria Chiefs are the Midwest League affiliate of the Chicago Cubs. The Chiefs went 71-68 in 2007. They missed out on the Midwest League playoffs on a tie-breaker despite a 40-30 record in the second half. Baseball Hall of Famer Ryne Sandberg is in his second season as the manager of the Chiefs.
CHIEFS IN 2008: The Chiefs are 17-30 and in eighth place in the Midwest League Western Division. They trail first place Clinton by 16 games. The Chiefs are 7-13 at O’Brien Field. Peoria is currently on a three game winning streak after they won the final three games of a four game series at Quad Cities against the River Bandits.
COMPARE AND CONTRAST: The Timber Rattlers are hitting .233 as a team and have scored 141 runs (3.3/game). Wisconsin has hit 11 home runs this season. The Timber Rattler pitching staff has a combined ERA of 3.29. Peoria is hitting .241 as a team and has scored 175 runs (3.7/game). The Chiefs have hit 23 home runs this season. Their pitching staff has a combined ERA of 3.70.
2007 SEASON SERIES: The Rattlers and Chiefs played 18 times in 2007. Wisconsin and Peoria split the series with nine wins a piece. The Rattlers went 4-5 in nine games at O’Brien Field last season.
2008 SEASON SERIES: These are the first four meetings of the season between the Rattlers and Chiefs. Wisconsin and Peoria will play a total of 15 times this season. Seven times at O’Brien Field and eight times on Time Warner Cable Field at Fox Cities Stadium.
PROSPECTING: Baseball America’s Prospect Handbook places one member of the current Chief roster on their list of top 30 prospects in the Cub organization. Catcher Josh Donaldson is ranked seventh. Pitcher Dae-Eun Rhee is on the Peoria disabled list, but is rated at #16 on the list.
OUT OF THE DRAFT: The Chiefs have 10 members of the 2007 Chicago Cub draft class on their current roster. Pitchers Zach Ash (16th); Craig Muschko (22nd); Dustin Sasser (21st); Chris Siegfried (11th); and Steve Vento (23rd) are joined by catchers Luis Bautista (32nd); Josh Donaldson (1st – supplemental); infielder Marquez Smith (8th); and outfielders Brandon Guyer (5th) and Leon Johnson (10th)
VETERANS: There are six members of the current Peoria roster who spent at least some time in 2007 with the Chiefs.
CEDAR RAPIDS STARTING PITCHER: Chris Siegfried was an 11th round pick of the Cubs out of Jesuit High School in McMinnville, Oregon in the 2007 draft. He split time between Boise (Northwest League) and Peoria after signing with the Cubs. In Boise, Siegfried was 0-1 with four saves and an ERA of 3.00 in 14 relief appearances. His first appearance for the Chiefs was on July 30 at West Michigan and he picked up the win with two scoreless innings. Overall, Siegfried was 2-0 in 10 games (one start) with a 5.59ERA. That one start for the Chiefs was his only appearance against the Rattlers last season. On August 21 he pitched 2-1/3 innings and allowed one run on two hits with three strikeouts for a no decision. He also faced Everett (Seattle’s Northwest League affiliate) four times last season and went 0-0 with a save, a 1.17ERA, and 10 strikeouts in 7-2/3 innings. His start prior to tonight for the Chiefs was a win at Cedar Rapids on May 7. He allowed six runs on ten hits over five innings for the victory, but went on the disabled list shortly after that start.
*-Steve Winwood with some sage advice
**-I freely admit before all, without coercion or threat of violence, that Tom Green actually made me laugh in this movie.
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