ABOUT LAST NIGHT: Great Lakes beat the Timber Rattlers 6-1. The Loons scored three times in the first and twice in the second to build an early 5-0 lead. Loon starting pitcher Steve Johnson worked five scoreless innings and allowed two hits for his third win.
FIRST PRINCIPLES: The Loons took advantage of an error to start the bottom of the first and an unturned double play to score their three first inning runs. Travis Vetters drove in a runner from first with a two-out double. Then, Jaime Ortiz hit his sixth home run of the season over the 373 foot sign in right-centerfield and it was 3-0 Great Lakes. The Rattlers have been outscored 18-5 in the first inning of games this season.
PAREDES: Rattler starter Edward Paredes allowed five runs (one earned) in 2-2/3 innings. Four of the five runs he allowed were after two outs. Unofficially, Paredes tossed 71 pitches, walked two, and struck out two as he took his third loss in a row.
*ONE CHANCE; JUST ONE CHANCE: The Rattlers trailed 3-0 in the top of the second inning. Juan Diaz singled and Eddy Hernandez walked with one out. Johnson walked Maximo Mendez with two out to load the bases. But, Johnson got a force out to end the Rattler threat. He retired nine of the next ten batters he faced allowing only a two out single in the third.
FIFTEEN: Edilio Colina singled in the sixth inning and scored the lone Rattler run yesterday. Colina now has a 15 game hitting streak (20-for-58, .345). This is the third longest active streak in the Midwest League. The two streaks in the league longer than Colina’s 15-gamer belong to Evan Frey of South Bend and Adrian Ortiz of Burlington. Frey’s hitting streak has reached 23 games (35-for-99, .354). Ortiz is at 17 games (28-for-73, .384) on his hitting streak.
**ONE IS THE LONELIEST NUMBER: A sacrifice fly by Juan Diaz in the top of the sixth drove in Colina with the only Rattler run. The Timber Rattlers have not been shutout in 2008, but they have scored one run in a game six times.
RARE OFF DAY: Yesterday was the first time Alex Liddi did not appear in the Timber Rattler starting lineup this season. Liddi had made 23 starts at third and three starts as the designated hitter in the first 26 games this season.
ABOUT THE OPPONENTS: The Great Lakes Loons are the Midwest League affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers. Last season, the Loons were 57-82 in their inaugural Midwest League season. Great Lakes did not make the playoffs in 2007. Manager Juan Bustabad is in his first season at the helm of the Loons.
LOONS IN 2008: Great Lakes is 14-16 so far this season. In their most recent series, the Loons dropped two out of three games to the Beloit Snappers at Dow Diamond. When Great Lakes won the second game of the series with Beloit, they snapped a seven game losing streak. Great Lakes is tied for fourth place 3.5 games behind the division leading West Michigan Whitecaps. The Loons are 10-5 at Dow Diamond this season.
COMPARE AND CONTRAST: The Timber Rattlers are hitting .233 as a team and have scored 83 runs (3.1/game). Wisconsin has hit six homers this season. The Timber Rattler pitching staff has a combined ERA of 3.83. Great Lakes is hitting .215 and have scored 95 runs (3.2/game). The Loons have hit 17 home runs this season. Great Lakes’ pitching staff has an ERA of 3.84.
2007 SEASON SERIES: Wisconsin went 4-4 in eight games against the Loons in 2007. The teams split a four game series at Down Diamond May 8-11. The teams also split a four game set on Time Warner Cable Field at Fox Cities Stadium July 26-29.
SEE YOU IN AUGUST: The Rattlers and Loons have a three-game series scheduled for Grand Chute August 1-3.
GREAT LAKES STARTING PITCHER: Daigoro Rondon was signed as a non-drafted free agent by the Dodgers out of the Dominican Republic in 2004. Rondon pitched three seasons in the Dominican Summer League before going 7-2 with a 2.77ERA in 12 games (seven starts) for the Gulf Coast League Dodgers in 2007. He struck out 59 batters in 65 innings in the GCL. In his last start, Rondon faced the Beloit Snappers on May 1 at Dow Diamond. He allowed two runs on six hits over 6-2/3 innings with six strikeouts, but got a no decision. Today is Rondon’s first appearance against the Timber Rattlers and his first against an affiliate of the Seattle Mariners.
*-Yes, Braveheart
**-Yes, Three Dog Night
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