June 15 Game Notes

ABOUT SATURDAY: The Timber Rattlers and LumberKings split a day-night doubleheader at Alliant Energy Field. Clinton won game one 2-1 in ten innings. The Rattlers took game two 10-0.

GAME ONE RECAP: The LumberKings clinched the first half Western Division title with the 2-1 extra inning victory. Jonathan Greene singled in the winning run with two outs in the bottom of the tenth. The LumberKings scored a run in the fourth inning on a two-out double by Mitch Moreland in the fourth. Wisconsin tied the game when Maximo Mendez scored on a throwing error in the sixth. Neftali Feliz was the starting pitcher for the LumberKings and struck out 11 over 5-1/3 innings, but received a no decision.

GAME TWO RECAP: The Rattlers broke into double digits in runs for the first time this season with a 10-0 win. Mendez, Ron Garth, and Denny Almonte all homered for Wisconsin. Alex Liddi was 5-for-5 in the game and led the Rattlers to 16 hits, their highest hit total of 2008.

MEN OF QUALITY: Both Timber Rattler starters had quality starts yesterday. Jake Wild, in his second start of the season, allowed one run on five hits with six strikeouts for a no decision in the day game. Night game starter Michael Pineda allowed one hit over seven shutout innings with no walks and six strikeouts for the win.

MOLTO PIACEVOLE, LIDDI: Liddi had three singles, two doubles, and scored three runs for his five hits in the night game. He is the first Timber Rattler to have five hits in a game since Adam Moore had five hits in a game at Dayton on August 18, 2006.

THEY HAVE THE POWER: The Rattlers hit three homers in the night game. Garth and Mendez hit three run homers and Almonte’s was a solo shot. That marks the second time this season Wisconsin has hit multiple homers in a game. The other time was when they hit a pair at Great Lakes on May 6 in a 6-0 win.

MEET THE NEW GUY: Jonathan Arias made his Timber Rattler debut as the starting catcher in game two last night. He was signed by the Mariners as a non-drafted free agent in 2006. Arias played for Seattle’s Arizona League affiliate in 2007.

IT’S A LITTLE KNOWN FACT: Arias had travel problems and arrive in Clinton late. Had it not been for the 94 minute delay that pushed back the start of the second game, Alex Meneses would have made the start at catcher.

CLOSE OUT: Rattler starting pitcher Juan Ramirez allowed one hit and struck out a pair in the bottom of the ninth inning in game two last night. It was his first relief appearance of the season.

ABOUT THE OPPONENTS: The Clinton LumberKings are the Midwest League affiliate of the Texas Rangers. They are 41-25 and are the first half Western Division champions. Clinton is 22-13 at home this season. Their magic number to clinch the division title is one.

COMPARE AND CONTRAST: The Timber Rattlers are hitting .239 as a team and have scored 229 runs (3.5/game). Wisconsin has hit 21 home runs this season. The Timber Rattler pitching staff has a combined ERA of 3.38. The LumberKings are hitting .276 as a team to lead the League in that category. They have scored 350 runs (5.3/game). Clinton has hit 48 home runs this season. The LumberKings pitching staff has a combined ERA of 3.55.

2008 SEASON SERIES: The Rattlers lead the season series 3-2. LumberKings won the only game played between the teams at Time Warner Cable Field at Fox Cities Stadium this season. Clinton won 8-1 on April 7. The next three games were either rained out or snowed out.

CLINTON STARTING PITCHER: Derek Holland was the 25th round pick of the Rangers in the 2006 draft out of Wallace State Community College in Hanceville, Alabama. Holland signed as a draft-and-follow before the 2007 entry draft. He was 4-5 with a 3.22 ERA in 16 games (14 starts) for the Spokane Indians, the Northwest League affiliate of the Rangers. Today is his first appearance against the Timber Rattlers, but Holland faced Everett, Seattle’s Northwest League affiliate twice in 2007. He had a pair of no decisions and allowed four runs (three earned) on seven hits over 11 innings. In a game on August 21 at Everett, Holland struck out 10 batters in six innings without a walk. He struck out 17 Aquasox batters and walked two. In his start for Clinton prior to today, Holland beat Kane County with six scoreless innings on June 10. He allowed two hits and struck out five while walking four in that game.