ABOUT SUNDAY: Corey Kemp hit a three run homer and Dan Merklinger allowed one run over six innings to send the Rattlers to a 5-1 win over the Silver Hawks.
TWO OUT BINGO: All five Wisconsin runs scored after there were two outs.
SINCE… Kemp’s homer was in the third inning. There were two outs and nobody on base when Pete Fatse and Lorenzo Cain drew walks. Kemp lifted his homer over the left field wall for a 3-0 Rattlers lead. Kemp had not homered since May 26 at Dayton. It was his first homer at Time Warner Cable Field since April 29.
ABOUT THAT HOMER: That Kemp blast was #24 in game #49 at home for the Timber Rattlers this season. In 2008, Wisconsin had 27 homers in 62 games at Time Warner Cable Field.
ANYWAY, ANYHOW: The Rattlers loaded the bases with no outs in the bottom of the fourth inning. The sacks were still full with two outs and no runs in for Wisconsin. Then, Fatse and Cain drew walks to force in runs and give the Rattlers a 5-0 lead.
DIAL M FOR MERKLINGER: The Rattlers starting pitcher allowed one run over six innings. He struck out six and walked two. The only run he gave up was on a two out RBI single by Rossmel Perez in the top of the sixth. In the second half, Merklinger is 2-0 with a save and 1.74ERA and 21 strikeouts in 20-1/3 innings.
MEADOW’S LAND: Daniel Meadows relieved Merklinger in the seventh and allowed one hit, struck out two, and walked one over the final three innings to get his second save of the season.
HE’S GOT VERSITILITY: Juan Sanchez made the start at third base yesterday. In the last six games, Sanchez has started at third, second, right (twice), center, and shortstop.
FIVE BY FIVE BY FIVE: Sanchez, Derrick McPhearson, and Michael Vass each had a hit yesterday. All three extended their hitting streaks to five games. For McPhearson and Vass those are season-high hitting streaks.
LAWRIE’S DAY: Rattlers second baseman Brett Lawrie went 1-for-3 with a double and a run scored in the XM Futures at St. Louis on Sunday. His double led off the seventh inning and sparked a four run rally for the World team on the way to a 7-5 win. He is in transit today and is not expected back in time for the game.
CAIN WATCH: The Milwaukee Brewers sent outfielder Lorenzo Cain to the Rattlers to work his way back from injury. Yesterday, he was 0-for-2 with a pair of walks and his first RBI with Wisconsin. He is 5-for-23 with seven walks in eight games with the Rattlers.
ABOUT THE OPPONENTS: The South Bend Silver Hawks are the Midwest League affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks. They are the defending Eastern Division champions of the Midwest League. They finished the first half of the season with a record of 27-41. In the second half, the Silver Hawks are currently 8-9 and they are in third place in the Eastern Division. However, since the top two teams in the East this half already are in the playoffs, South Bend holds the top second half playoff spot in that division by two games over Dayton and Great Lakes. The Silver Hawks are currently on a ten game road trip. They are 6-3 on the first nine games after taking three out of four at Lansing and two out of three at Beloit.
SEASON SERIES: The Silver Hawks lead 3-2. They were 2-1 in a series at Coveleski Regional Stadium May 8 through May 10. Wisconsin lost game one 6-1 and game two 11-2. The Rattlers salvaged the final game of the series with a 4-1 win.
COMPARE AND CONTRAST: The Timber Rattlers are hitting .242 as a team. They have scored 357 runs (4.1/game) and hit 42 home runs. The Silver Hawks are hitting .247 as a team. They have scored 320 runs (3.8/game) and hit 22 homers. Wisconsin pitchers have a team ERA of 3.88 while allowing a total of 382 runs (4.5/game). South Bend pitchers have a team ERA of 4.07 while allowing 403 runs (4.7/game). The Timber Rattler defense has committed 102 errors. The Hawks defense has committed 107 errors. Wisconsin is 29-20 at home this season. South Bend is 17-30 on the road this season.
SOUTH BEND STARTING PITCHER: RHP Ryan Cook was the 27th round pick of the Diamondbacks in the 2008 draft out of Southern California. He went 2-2 with a 4.64 ERA in seven starts for the Yakima Bears, the Northwest League affiliate of the Diamondbacks in 2008. In 2009, he is 6-7 with a 4.03 ERA in 14 starts for the Silver Hawks. Cook has been very streaky in 2009. He won his first five decisions. Then, he lost his next seven starts. Cook won his start prior to today to snap the losing streak. On July 8 at Beloit, he allowed three runs on six hits over seven innings with a walk and eight strikeouts. Today is his first appearance against the Timber Rattlers and his first appearance against an affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers.
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