ABOUT LAST NIGHT: The Timber Rattlers lost 11-3 to the Lugnuts. Lansing scored five times in the top of the sixth inning to erase a 3-1 Wisconsin lead. Jon Del Campo had three hits and drove in four runs for the Lugnuts. Henderson Alvarez pitched seven innings for the win.
EARLY LEAD: Wisconsin took a 3-1 lead with three runs in the bottom of the fourth inning. Corey Kemp’s two-run double put the Rattlers in front and a sacrifice fly by Brock Kjeldgaard drove in Kemp for the third run of the frame.
THROUGH FIVE: Rattler starter Trey Watten allowed one run on two hits with a walk and five strikeouts over the first five innings.
THE SIXTH: Watten walked three, threw a wild pitch, allowed three hits, and gave up five runs in the first seven batters faced as the Lugnuts took a 6-3 lead.
ADDING ON: Lansing added three runs in the seventh and two more in the ninth.
ONE SHY: Lansing outfielder Yohermyn Chavez is the reigning Midwest League player of the week. He had three hits and was missing only a home run for the cycle. Chavez is tied for seventh in the MWL in batting average at .342 and he leads the Midwest League in slugging percentage at .658.
TRIPLE TIME: Rattler second baseman Brett Lawrie tripled in the bottom of the sixth. It was his fourth of the season. He is tied with two other players for the Midwest League lead.
OVER THE CENTURY MARK: Three Wisconsin pitchers combined to walk six Lugnut batters last night. The Rattlers have walked 106 opponents this season and they lead the league in that category.
ONWARD TO SEVEN: Juan Sanchez went 2-for-4 with a pair of singles last night to extend his hitting streak to seven games. Sanchez is 13-for-29 (.448) during the streak.
IN A PINCH: The Rattlers used a pair of pinch hitters in the bottom of the ninth last night. Edgar Trejo struck out. Michael Vass doubled. The double by Vass was the first pinch hit by a Rattler this season.
TWIN KILLINGS x THREE: Wisconsin hit into three double plays over the final three innings of last night’s game. The Rattlers have hit into 15 double plays this season.
ABOUT THE OPPONENTS: The Lansing Lugnuts are the Midwest League affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays. Clayton McCullough is in his second season as the manager of the Lugnuts. Last season, the Lugnuts were 76-64. They made the playoffs as the first half Eastern Division Champions. The Lugnuts are off to a 6-15 start in their first 21 games. In their last series, Lansing dropped two out of three at Kane County. Last season, Wisconsin was 4-2 against the Lugnuts. The Rattlers took two out of three at Time Warner Cable Field July 29-31, 2008.
COMPARE AND CONTRAST: The Timber Rattlers are hitting .234 as a team. They have scored 87 runs (4.1/game) and hit nine home runs. The Lugnuts are hitting .227 as a team. They have scored 70 runs (3.3/game) and hit 11 homers. Wisconsin pitchers have a team ERA of 4.83 while allowing a total of 113 runs (5.4/game). Lansing pitchers have a team ERA of 4.68 while allowing 104 runs (5.0/game). The Timber Rattler defense has committed 25 errors. The Lugnut defense has committed 26 errors. Wisconsin is 8-5 at Time Warner Cable Field this season. The Lugnuts are 4-7 away from Oldsmobile Park this season.
PROSPECTING: Baseball America’s Prospect Handbook listed five members of the current Lansing roster on their list of the top 30 prospects in the Blue Jay system before the start of the season. Infielder Mark Sobolewski is the highest rated Lugnut on the list at #19. Outfielder Kenny Wilson (#21), infielder Tyler Pastornicky (23), outfielder Markus Brisker (#26), and pitcher Henderson Alvarez (#29) are also on the list.
OUT OF THE DRAFT 2008: The Blue Jays have placed 13 players from their 2008 draft class on the current Lansing roster. Wilson (2nd round) is the highest pick on the team. Sobolewski (4th round), Pastornicky (5th), Brisker (6th), and catcher AJ Jimenez (9th) are all top ten picks. Pitchers John Anderson (28th), Matt Daly (13th), Chuck Huggins (23rd), Ryan Koch (36th), and Hunter Moody (35th) were also ’08 draft picks of the Jays. Bryan Kervin (27th, Justin McClanahan (33rd), and Brian Van Kirk (21st) were picked in ’08, too.
RETURNING ALUMNI: There are six players on the current Lugnuts roster that also spent at least some time with Lansing in 2008. Pitchers Mike Barbara, Frank Gailey, and Koch; catcher Jon Talley; outfielder Mike McDade; and outfielder Yohermyn Chavez were Lugnuts last year.
LANSING STARTING PITCHER: LHP John Anderson was a 28th round pick in the 2008 draft out of Chabot Junior College in Hayward, California. Anderson spent most of his first pro season with the Gulf Coast League Blue Jays where he went 1-3 with two saves over 16 relief appearances. He walked eight and struck out 22 in 25 innings in the GCL. Anderson made one relief appearance for Auburn in the New York-Penn League and did not allow a run over 1-1/3 innings. In his start prior to today, Anderson allowed one run on seven hits over four innings at West Michigan on April 28. He walked one and struck out two in a no decision against the Whitecaps. Today is the first time Anderson is facing the Rattlers or an affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers.
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