May 25, 2009: Game Notes

ABOUT SUNDAY: The Timber Rattlers lost 4-0 to the Beloit Snappers. Beloit broke a scoreless tie with four runs in the bottom of the eighth inning.

PERALTA’S DAY: Timber Rattler starting pitcher Wily Peralta worked six scoreless innings. He allowed three hits and did not walk a batter. Peralta struck out 10 to set a personal professional high for strikeouts in a game. He is the second Rattler pitcher to strikeout 10 opponents in one game this season. Cody Scarpetta struck out 10 Peoria hitters on April 22.

EMERGENCY: Joe Testa was called on to start the game in place of Brad Tippett, the scheduled starter who was late arriving to the ballpark. Testa allowed one hit and pitched three scoreless innings.

BETTER LATE THAN NEVER: Tippett was put into the game in the top of the fourth and proceeded to allow one hit over six innings with five strikeouts. He was credited with his fourth win of the season.

TWO HITS: Erik Miller and Juan Sanchez had the only two hits in the game for the Timber Rattlers. The only other base runner for Wisconsin was when Jose Duran drew a walk to lead-off the seventh inning.

CAUGHT: Duran was at third with two outs in the seventh and attempted a straight steal of home. He was unsuccessful in the attempt.

HARD EIGHT: Evan Frederickson worked a scoreless seventh inning in relief of Peralta. But, in the eighth, he walked the two consecutive batters after getting the first out. James Beresford singled to left to drive in the first run of the game. Later in the inning, a two-run single by Ramon Santana made the score 3-0. The scoring was capped in the inning by a Jon Waltenbury sacrifice fly.

BACK IN THE SWING: Rattler infielder Brett Lawrie made a pinch hitting appearance in the top of the ninth and grounded out to short. It was his first appearance since a ground ball broke his nose at Kane County on May 21.

END OF THE LINE: Two Timber Rattlers had their season high hitting streaks end yesterday. Edgar Trejo and Duran both went hitless on the day to end seven-game hitting streaks. Trejo was 0-for-3 with three strikeouts. Duran was 0-for-2 with a walk.

I REMEMBER YOU: Juan Sanchez is 2-for-10 with a run scored for the Timber Rattlers in this series. Sanchez was in the Twins organization from 2005 through 2008 until he was selected by the Brewers in the minor league portion of the Rule 5 Draft.

ROAD TRIP! The Rattlers began a 12-game, 12-day, 4-city road trip last Wednesday. Wisconsin is 2-3 so far with one game left in Beloit, a three game series in Dayton, and a three game series in West Michigan still ahead. The Rattlers return home on June 2.

ABOUT THE OPPONENTS: The Beloit Snappers are the Midwest League affiliate of the Minnesota Twins. They are 16-26 and in eighth place in the Midwest League Western Division. The Snappers are 9-1/2 games out of first place.

COMPARE AND CONTRAST: The Timber Rattlers are hitting .253 as a team. They have scored 191 runs (4.4/game) and hit 24 home runs. The Snappers are hitting .254 as a team. They have scored 204 runs (4.9/game) and hit 53 homers. Wisconsin pitchers have a team ERA of 4.32 while allowing a total of 215 runs (5.0/game). Beloit pitchers have a team ERA of 5.42 while allowing 258 runs (6.1/game). The Timber Rattler defense has committed 62 errors. The Snapper defense has committed 55 errors. Wisconsin is 4-15 on the road this season. Beloit is 9-13 at home this season.

BELOIT STARTING PITCHER: RHP Michael Allen was the 13th round pick of the Twins in the 2005 draft out of Arlington Country Day School in Jacksonville, Florida. He pitched one game in relief for the Fort Myers Miracle of the Florida State League in 2008 before joining the Snappers on July 11. Allen went 1-0 with a 1.75ERA over 14 appearances (two starts) for Beloit last season. He walked nine and struck out 37 over 36 innings pitched. He is 0-5 in 2009. In his start prior to today, Allen allowed five runs on five hits over 5-2/3 against Fort Wayne on May 20 and received a no decision. Today is Allen’s first start against an affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers. He made two relief appearances against the Timber Rattlers in 2008 and allowed five runs (one earned) on five hits with three walks and eight strikeouts over seven innings.