ABOUT LAST NIGHT: The Timber Rattlers lost 3-1 to Kane County. The Cougars scored three runs in the first inning and Scott Hodsdon scattered nine hits over 5-2/3 innings for the win.
TALE OF TWO FIRSTS: The Timber Rattlers loaded the bases with two outs in the top of the first inning on an error, a two out single and a two out walk. But, Hodsdon got out of the jam. The Cougars had runners at first and second with one out in the bottom of the first. Danny Hamblin tripled to left to drive in both runners. Later in the first, Hamblin jarred the ball loose from Blake Ochoa on a play at the plate for a 3-0 Kane County Lead.
WRONG FOOT: The Rattlers have been outscored 33-18 in the first inning this season.
*THAT’S ALL: Rattler starting pitcher Nathan Adcock was charged with three runs (one earned) in the first inning. Then, he kept the Cougars off the scoreboard for the rest of his seven inning outing. He allowed one more hit and struck out eight, but took the loss.
RUN OF THE DAY: The Rattlers got a two-out, RBI single from Ochoa in the top of the fourth inning. That pulled Wisconsin to within 3-1 and put runners on the corners. But, Hodsdon got out of the jam again.
**MISSED AGAIN: The Rattlers outhit the Cougars 9-3 in the game, but left 11 runners on base in the game. Hodsdon did not record a 1-2-3 inning during his 5-2/3 innings on the mound for the Cougars. Wisconsin left the bases loaded in the first and sixth innings.
OUT OF THE BULLPEN: Scott Deal relieved Hodsdon with two outs in the sixth after the Rattlers had loaded the bases on an error and two singles. Deal got the final out of the inning on a fly ball to left. He retired six of the next seven batters – allowing only a one-out walk in the seventh – before turning the game over to Justin Friend. The Cougar closer recorded a 1-2-3 inning for the save.
RACKING THEM UP: Adcock’s eight strikeouts included five in a row from the sixth into the seventh. He now has 58 strikeouts this season and is the team leader in that category. He is tied with Lauren Gagnier of West Michigan and Robert Fish of Cedar Rapids for sixth place in the league in that category.
ON THE ROAD: The Rattlers are 2-7 in the first nine games of their current 12-game road trip. The Rattlers are hitting .209 (60-for-287) and have scored 19 runs (2.1/game) on this trip. Opponents are hitting .228 (63-for-276) and have scored 39 runs (4.3/game) during the last nine games.
ABOUT THE OPPONENTS: The Kane County Cougars are the Midwest League affiliate of the Oakland Athletics. The Cougars are 31-20 this season. They are currently in second place in the Midwest League Western Division. Kane County trails first place Clinton by 6.5 games. The Cougars hold the first half Western Division Wild Card spot by 3.5 games over third place Beloit. The Cougars are 14-11 at Elfstrom Stadium. In their most recent series, Kane County went 2-3 in five games at home with the Quad Cities River Bandits that ended on Monday.
200: Last night was the 200th regular season meeting between the Rattlers and the Cougars. The Rattler the all-time series is tied 100-100.
COMPARE AND CONTRAST: The Timber Rattlers are hitting .233 as a team and have scored 153 runs (3.2/game). Wisconsin has hit 13 home runs this season. The Timber Rattler pitching staff has a combined ERA of 3.34. Kane County is hitting .254 as a team and has scored 212 runs (4.2/game). The Cougars have hit 25 home runs this season. Their pitching staff has a combined ERA of 2.67.
2008 SEASON SERIES: The season series is even at two wins a piece after four games. The Rattlers won the first two games of the series in Grand Chute by scores of 8-6 on May 16 and 4-2 on May 17. The Cougars won the final game of the series 4-0 on May 18.
KANE COUNTY STARTING PITCHER: Scott Mitchinson was originally signed by the Philadelphia Phillies as a non-drafted free agent out of Australia in 2003. The Athletics selected him in the Triple-A portion of the 2007 Rule 5 Draft. He made three stops in the Philadelphia system last season: Gulf Coast, Williamsport (New York-Penn), and Lakewood (South Atlantic). In eight starts for Lakewood, Mitchinson was 3-3 with a 4.12ERA and struck out 50 batters while walking 14 in 43-2/3 innings. Mitchinson has pitched internationally for Australia, most recently in the Olympic qualifying tournament in March and in the 2007 World Cup in Taiwan. He faced a Canadian team that had former Rattlers Michael Saunders and Sebastien Boucher in a game on November 14, but was not involved in the decision, a 7-6 win for Australia. Rattler pitcher Phillippe Aumont, who pitched for Canada in the same tournament, did not appear in that game. In his last start for Kane County, Mitchinson had a no decision against Quad Cities on May 23 in the first game of a doubleheader. He allowed three runs (none earned) on six hits over five innings. Mitchinson beat the Timber Rattlers on May 18 in Grand Chute with seven innings of shutout baseball. He allowed four hits, did not walk a batter, and struck out nine.
*-Genesis
**-Phil Collins
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