July 29 Game Notes

ABOUT LAST NIGHT: The Rattlers beat the Beloit Snappers 10-0. Denny Almonte hit a pair of homers and knocked in three runs for Wisconsin. Keith Renaud, Joe Kantakevich, and Jose Escalona combined on the six-hit shutout.

JUMP START: The Rattlers led 2-0 two batters into the bottom of the first inning. Daniel Carroll singled to start the inning. Almonte followed with an opposite field blast to left field.

TWO-FER: Almonte became the second Timber Rattler to hit a pair of homers in a game this season. Joe Dunigan hit two home runs at Fort Wayne on July 12.

AND ONE: Blake Ochoa homered in the eighth inning to give Wisconsin three home runs total in the game. Last night was the fourth time the Rattlers hit three homers in a game. It was also the second time this year Wisconsin hit three dingers in a game against the Snappers.

40: Last night’s long ball spree gave the Rattlers forty home runs on the season. Wisconsin has hit 16 of those at home this season.

ALL IN: All nine starters in the Timber Rattler lineup had at least one hit as Wisconsin racked up 12 hits. Almonte, Edilo Colina, and Blake Ochoa each had two hits for the Rattlers.

TOSSING ZEROES: Renaud allowed four hits and no runs over 6-2/3 innings to earn his first win with the Rattlers this season. Kantakevich got the final out of the seventh and pitched a scoreless eighth. Escalona wrapped up Wisconsin’s second shutout in the last three days with a scoreless ninth. Last night was the eighth time Wisconsin pitchers have combined to shutout an opponent this season.

IN CONTROL: Renaud walked just two batters in the game. Neither Kantakevich nor Escalona walked a batter.

IN PLAY: Renaud recorded the only strikeout by a Timber Rattler pitcher last night.

DO NOT PASS SECOND: The Snappers did not have a base runner get past second base last night.

HOW RARE IS THIS? The Rattlers hit for the cycle as a team during a four-run sixth inning. Almonte started the inning with his second homer. Colina and Alex Liddi both singled. Then, Joe Dunigan tripled to knock Beloit starting pitcher David Bromberg out of the game. One out later, Ochoa doubled to complete the team cycle.

WIN THE SEASON: By winning last night’s game, the Rattlers won the season series against Beloit. Wisconsin went 8-7 versus the Snappers in 2008.

ABOUT THE OPPONENTS: The Lansing Lugnuts are the Midwest League affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays. They finished the first half with a record of 39-31 and as the first half champions of the Eastern Division. They are currently 59-48 on the season.

COMPARE AND CONTRAST: The Timber Rattlers are hitting .239 as a team and have scored 391 runs (3.8/game). Wisconsin has hit 40 home runs this season. The Timber Rattler pitching staff has a combined ERA of 3.91. Lansing is hitting .256 as a team and has scored 454 runs (4.2/game). The Lugnuts have hit 58 home runs this season. The Lansing pitching staff has a combined ERA of 3.06.

2008 SEASON SERIES: The Rattlers lead the season series 2-1. Wisconsin took two out of three from the Lugnuts at Oldsmobile Park earlier this season. The Lugnuts beat the Rattlers 6-2 on May 1. Wisconsin won the final two games of the series 5-2 on May 2 and 5-2 on May 3.

PROSPECTING: Baseball America’s Prospect Handbook placed seven members of the current Lansing roster on their top 30 list of Toronto Blue Jay prospects. Infielder Kevin Aherns is the top rated Toronto prospect at #3. Infielders Justin Jackson (#6) and John Tolisano (#7) are also on the list. Pitchers Trystan Magnuson (#11) and Marc Rzepcynski (#21) are also in the top 30. Outfielders Yohermyn Chavez (#11), Eric Eiland (#14), and Moises Sierra (#30) are rated highly by BA.

OUT OF THE DRAFT 2007: The Lugnuts have nine players from the 2007 Toronto draft class, including six of their first ten picks, on their active roster. Kevin Aherns was Toronto’s first pick and the 21st player selected last year. Justin Jackson and Trystan Magnuson were both supplemental first-round picks in 2007. John Tollisano and Eric Eiland were both second round picks last year. Pitcher Marc Rzepcynski was the fifth round pick of the Blue Jays. The other ’07 draft picks of Toronto on the Lansing roster are: Brian Letko (19th), Frank Gailey (23rd), and Jimmy Dougher (24th).

OUT OF THE DRAFT 2008: Toronto used the 17th overall pick in the 2008 draft to select David Cooper out of the University of California.

LANSING STARTING PITCHER: LH Brian Letko was picked in the 19th round of the 2007 draft by the Blue Jays out of Embry-Riddle University. Letko went 11-1 with a 2.20 ERA in 17 games (15 starts) for the Eagles. He pitched for the Gulf Coast League affiliate of the Blue Jays last season and went 2-4 with a 1.50ERA in 12 games (10 starts). Letko joined the Lugnuts in early June and is 2-2 with a 3.62ERA in eight games (six starts). In his start prior to this evening, Letko tossed a nine-inning complete game against Quad Cities on July 24. He allowed one run on four hits; walked two and struck out four. Tonight is Letko’s first appearance against the Timber Rattlers This is also his first appearance against an affiliate of the Seattle Mariners.