June 8, 2009: Game Notes

ABOUT SUNDAY: The Timber Rattlers and the Snappers split a doubleheader. Wisconsin won game one 2-1. Beloit won game two 4-1.

GAME ONE RECAP: Daniel Meadows worked around five walks over five innings to pick up his ninth win of the season. Brandon Ritchie kept the Rattlers in front with a perfect sixth inning. Jim Henderson worked a scoreless seventh inning for his fourteenth save of the year. Chris Dennis and Michael Marseco drove in the runs for the Rattlers.

STARTING: Meadows has made four starts this season. He is 4-0 with a 2.57ERA. In 11 relief appearances, Meadows is 5-1 with a 4.22 ERA.

DON’T MESS AROUND WITH JIM: Henderson is 14-for-14 in save situations this season. He is currently tied with Aaron Scheffer for fifth place on the single season saves list in Timber Rattler history. The top four pitchers on the list are:

PLAYER..........SAVES.SEASON
John Thompson....19....1995
Aquilino Lopez...17....2000
Chad Wiles.......17....2001
Brian Stitt......16....2004

SUICIDE SOLUTION: The game was tied in the bottom of the fourth inning and Dennis started the inning with a double. A bunt single by Jose Duran moved Dennis to third base. One out later, Marseco dropped a bunt with Dennis charging from third. The suicide squeeze worked and the Rattlers took a 2-1 lead.

GAME TWO RECAP: The Rattlers grabbed a 1-0 lead on an RBI single by Corey Kemp in the first inning of game two. Beloit answered back with two runs in the second and two runs in the third off Rattler starting pitcher Efrain Nieves. Daniel Osterbrock pitched a complete game and allowed four hits for the win.

TYSON: Nick Tyson relieved Nieves in the third inning and would toss 1-2/3 scoreless innings. The Rattler reliever has not allowed a run over seven outings spanning nine innings.

TO THE END: Both Beloit starters pitched a complete game on Sunday. Daniel Berlind allowed two runs on four hits in six innings for the loss in game one. The Snappers lead the Midwest League in complete games with four.

DENNIS’S DAY: Dennis was moved down to the sixth spot in the order in both games of the doubleheader on Sunday after three straight games in the cleanup spot. He was 2-for-5 with a walk in the sixth spot yesterday and – in 10 games – is 10-for-34 with a homer and four RBI hitting sixth. He was 0-for-11 with six strikeouts and one walk in the three games as the number four hitter.

HOMESTAND: The Rattlers are in the midst of a 12-game home stand. They are 2-4 in the first six games. Wisconsin hosts Beloit in two more games and Kane County from June 10 through June 13 to wrap up the home schedule in the first half.

ABOUT THE OPPONENTS: The Beloit Snappers are the Midwest League affiliate of the Minnesota Twins. They are 19-36 and in eighth place in the Midwest League Western Division. The Snappers are 14-1/2 games out of first place and ended a seven-game losing streak with the win against the Rattlers in game two of Sunday’s doubleheader. In their most recent series, the Snappers were swept in a four game series at Peoria. Reliever Joe Testa is the only member of the Snappers to be named to the Midwest League All-Star team.

SEASON SERIES: The Rattlers were 2-1 is a three game series at Pohlman Field from May 23-25. They lead the season series 3-2.

COMPARE AND CONTRAST: The Timber Rattlers are hitting .245 as a team. They have scored 235 runs (4.2/game) and hit 32 home runs. The Snappers are hitting .251 as a team. They have scored 246 runs (4.5/game) and hit 30 homers. Wisconsin pitchers have a team ERA of 4.18 while allowing a total of 269 runs (4.8/game). Beloit pitchers have a team ERA of 4.96 while allowing 309 runs (5.6/game). The Timber Rattler defense has committed 72 errors. The Snapper defense has committed 66 errors. Wisconsin is 17-13 at home this season. Beloit is 9-20 on the road this season.

BELOIT STARTING PITCHER: RHP Bobby Lanigan was the 3rd round pick of the Twins in the 2008 draft out of Adelphi University. In his final year with the Panthers, Lanigan was 4-4 in 13 games (11 starts) with an ERA of 1.94 and 87 strikeouts in 79 innings pitched. He was the all-time leader in strikeouts with the Panthers as he racked up 232 K’s over three seasons. In his first professional season, Lanigan was 6-5 with a 2.78 ERA in 13 games (all starts) for the Elizabethton Twins of the Appalachian League. He struck out 65 and walked just nine in 74-1/3 innings. He is 5-4 with a 5.49ERA in 11 starts for the Snappers this season. He took the loss in his start prior to today, a game at Peoria on June 3, with a six inning complete game in which he allowed two runs on four hits. The Rattlers beat Lanigan on May 23 at Pohlman Field. Wisconsin got to him for seven runs on 10 hits over 4-2/3 innings.