July 28 Game Notes

ABOUT LAST NIGHT: The Rattlers and Snappers wound up with a split in their two games. In the completion of the suspended game from July 7, the Rattlers won 8-4. In the regularly scheduled game, Beloit picked up a 3-1 win in 10 innings.

GAME ONE RECAP: Wisconsin led the game 2-1 after two innings when the game was suspended back on July 7. Juan Ramirez pitched a 1-2-3 top of the third inning on the restart. Then, the Rattlers took advantage of two errors by pitcher Michael Allen in the bottom of the third to score four unearned runs on the way to the 8-4 win. Joe Dunigan drove in three runs in the game. Ramirez struck out five over 4-1/3 innings for the win.

TECHNICALITY: The win by the Rattlers counts back on July 7. That means the Timber Rattler losing streak that had reached 13 games, actually ended at ten with this win.

SAVING THE DAY: Jose Escalona entered the game with runners at first and third with two out in the top of the ninth inning. He got the final out to pick up the save, his second of the season, but due to the way suspended games are scored, this went as his first. Escalona’s other save also came against the Snappers. That happened on July 20 at Pohlman Field.

GAME TWO RECAP: Mark Dolenc doubled in a run and scored on an error in the top of the tenth inning to break a 1-1 tie. Blake Martin, who got the final two outs of the ninth inning, pitched a perfect tenth for his first professional win.

DUELISTS: Beloit starting pitcher Mike McCardell and Rattler starter Edward Paredes kept the offense off the scoreboard through seven innings. Paredes struck out a career high eight and allowed four hits without walking a batter over seven. McCardell allowed two hits and struck out seven without issuing a walk over seven innings.

BUT IN THE EIGHTH: Dolenc tripled off Paredes to lead off the eighth inning. The next batter reached on a throwing error and Dolenc scored to go-ahead run. Paredes left the game after this play.

TIED UP: Juan Diaz drove in Alex Liddi with a one-out double in the bottom of the eighth off Santos Arias to keep the game going.

ALMOST GOT ‘EM: Wisconsin had runners at second and third in the bottom of the ninth inning. Martin entered the game and got the second out. An intentional walk loaded the bases, but Martin got the final out.

WINNING PLAY: Rene Leveret singled to start the tenth. One out later, Dolenc doubled to left-center. Leveret jarred the ball loose from Rattler catcher Israel Nunez to score the go-ahead run. Before the ball could be tracked down, Dolenc raced home from third.

ABOUT THE OPPONENTS: The Beloit Snappers are the Midwest League affiliate of the Minnesota Twins. They finished the first half with a record of 36-32 and missed one of the two Western Division playoff spots. The Snappers are 18-18 in the second half. They trail division leading Peoria by three games. The Snappers are behind Burlington by 2.5 games for the second half wild card. Beloit has a record of 29-26 away from Pohlman Field this season.

COMPARE AND CONTRAST: The Timber Rattlers are hitting .238 as a team and have scored 381 runs (3.7/game). Wisconsin has hit 37 home runs this season. The Timber Rattler pitching staff has a combined ERA of 3.95. Beloit is hitting .259 as a team and has scored 481 runs (4.6/game). The Snappers have hit 54 home runs this season. The Beloit pitching staff has a combined ERA of 3.81.

2008 SEASON SERIES: The season series is tied 7-7. The Rattlers went 4-2 at Pohlman Field this season. Beloit is 5-3 on Time Warner Cable Field at Fox Cities Stadium.

BELOIT STARTING PITCHER: RH David Bromberg was the 32nd round pick of the Twins in the 2005 draft. He was selected out of Palisades High School in Pacific Palisades, California. Bromberg spent 2005 with the Gulf Coast League Twins (3-3, 2.66ERA) and 2006 with the Elizabethton Twins (9-0, 2.78ERA) in the Appalachian League. In his start prior to this evening, Bromberg took the loss at South Bend on July 23. He allowed two unearned runs on four hits over seven innings. Bromberg walked two and struck out six in that game. He has made three starts against the Timber Rattlers this season. Bromberg is 1-0 with a 6.19 ERA against Wisconsin. He has allowed 18 hits and 11 runs over 16 innings in those three starts. Bromberg has struck out 17 Rattler hitters and walked eight. Bromberg, who is 6-7 with a 4.51 ERA for the Snappers this season, was rated as the 15th best prospect in the Minnesota organization by Baseball America before the start of the 2008 season.