8/24/2008

August 24 Game Notes

ABOUT LAST NIGHT: The River Bandits shutout the Timber Rattlers 4-0. Richard Castillo struck out eight and allowed two hits over seven innings for the win. Domnit Bolivar and Tommy Pham both homered for Quad Cities.

ALL THAT WAS REQUIRED: The River Bandits loaded the bases against Timber Rattler starting pitcher Keith Meyer with one out in the second inning. Roberto Espinoza’s sacrifice fly was deep enough to score the run from third.

LONG BALL: Bolivar hit a solo homer with two outs in the fourth. Pham hit a two run homer with on out in the fifth. Espinoza had reached on a hit batsman to lead off that inning.

SECOND START: Meyer made his second start as a Timber Rattler last night. He allowed four runs on three hits, a walk, a hit batsman, and six strikeouts over five innings. Meyer matched his career high for strikeouts and innings pitched in a game last night.

WELCOME BACK, COLINA: Also last night Rattler second baseman Edilio Colina returned to the Timber Rattler lineup for the first time since leaving the game at Peoria on August 14. Colina had three of the five hits for Wisconsin. He raised his average to .302 and is currently tied for 6th in the Midwest League batting average race.

WELCOME TO WISCONSIN…NOW GET IN THERE: Pitcher Cheyne Hann joined the Timber Rattlers yesterday and got into last night’s game. Hann, who was signed as a non-drafted free agent out of California State University-San Bernadino by the Mariners after the 2008 draft, pitched three scoreless innings, allowed one hit, and struck out three in his Midwest League debut.

A PRESENCE THAT HASN'T BEEN FELT SINCE...: Last night was the first time the Timber Rattlers were shutout at home since May 18. Kane County shutout Wisconsin 4-0 in that game back in the first half.

K’S KEEP CLIMBING: Rattler hitters struck out 12 times last night. In the first three games of this series, Wisconsin hitters have struck out 37 times. In the nine games against the River Bandits this season, Rattler hitters have struck out 99 times. During the 2008 season, Rattler batters have struck out 1065 times.

DOING THEIR PART: Rattler pitchers combined for 10 strikeouts last night. Wisconsin hurlers have struck out 30 River Bandits in the first three games of this series.

SEE YOU SOON. SEE YOU REAL SOON: The Rattlers and River Bandits will wrap up the 2008 regular season over Labor Day weekend at Modern Woodmen Park. The teams will play a four-game series starting Friday.

ABOUT THE OPPONENTS: The Quad Cities River Bandits are the Midwest League affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals. They did not qualify for the Midwest League playoffs in the first half. The River Bandits were just swept in a four game series with Western Division leading Burlington before starting this series with the Timber Rattlers. Quad Cities is 31-30 record in the second half and are 8-1/2 games behind the Bees for the division lead. The River Bandits are trailing Cedar Rapids by three games for the second half Western Division Wild Card with . They are 64-61 overall.

COMPARE AND CONTRAST: The Timber Rattlers are hitting .241 as a team and have scored 491 runs (3.9/game). Wisconsin has hit 57 home runs this season. The Timber Rattler pitching staff has a combined ERA of 3.91. Quad Cities is hitting .242 as a team. They have scored 529 runs (4.2/game). The Bandits have hit 94 home runs this season. The Quad Cities pitching staff has a combined ERA of 3.78.

2008 SEASON SERIES: The Rattlers lead the season series 5-4. Wisconsin and Quad Cities split a four game series at Modern Woodmen Park to open the 2008 season. The Rattlers won the first two games of a series on Time Warner Cable Field at Fox Cities Stadium that was scheduled for four games from June 5-8. The games on June 7 and 8 were rained out.

QUAD CITIES STARTING PITCHER: RH Deryk Hooker was the 7th round pick of the Cardinals in the 2007 draft out of Mira Mesa High School in San Diego, California. Hooker went 1-1 with a 2.32 ERA in 10 games (three starts) for the Gulf Coast League Cardinals in 2007. He walked 11 and struck out 47 in 31 innings pitched in the GCL last season. Hooker began the 2008 season with Johnson City in the Appalachian League and was 1-1 with a save, an ERA of 3.38, 14 walks, and 55 strikeouts over 42-2/3 innings. He joined the River Bandits in early August and has made two appearances (both starts) compiling an 0-1 record with a 1.69 ERA. In his start prior to this afternoon, Hooker lost to Burlington at Modern Woodmen Park. The Bees scored one run on four hits and two walks and struck out four times in 5-2/3 innings. This is Hooker’s first appearance against the Rattlers, but he did face the Pulaski Mariners on July 9. In a no decision, Hooker allowed one run on five hits over five innings with no walks and four strikeouts.

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