5/23/2010

May 23, 2010: Game Notes

ABOUT LAST NIGHT: The Rattlers beat the Bees 8-4. Burlington scored four times in the top of the fourth inning. Kyle Heckathorn and Maverick Lasker combined to shutdown the Bees over the final eight innings. Michael Marseco drove in three runs for the Rattlers to pace the comeback.

ROUGH START: Heckathorn committed an error on a bunt to start the game. He allowed four runs (one earned) in the first inning.

COMEBACK: Two-out RBI hits by Chris Dennis and Cameron Garfield in the bottom of the first inning got the Rattlers to within 4-2.

MARSECO! The Rattlers shortstop extended his hitting streak to nine games with a two-run single in the fourth inning to tie the game. He is 12-for-32 during the streak.

TRIPLE TIME: Pete Fatse tripled to start the sixth inning. It was his sixth of the season. He would beat a throw home on a grounder off the bat of Marseco to score the go ahead run.

THAT’S NEWS: Last night was the first time since 2008 Wisconsin rallied to win a game that they trailed by more than three runs. The last time the Rattlers won a game that they trailed by four runs was on August 6, 2008. They were down 4-0 after seven innings at Clinton and came back to win 5-4.

HECKATHORN! After that tough first inning, Heckathorn was not threatened again until the seventh inning. The Bees loaded the bases, but Heckathorn struck out Joey Lewis for the last out of the frame. Heckathorn became the first Rattlers starter to pitch into the seventh in 2010. Of the 20 outs he recorded last night, Heckathorn got 12 grounders, three flyballs, and five strikeouts. There was a caught stealing to account for the other out.

IT GOES TO ELEVEN: Scooter Gennett doubled in his first plate appearance last night. That extended his hitting streak to eleven games. This is the longest hitting streak by a Timber Rattler in 2010. It is the longest hitting streak by a Rattler player since Edilio Colina (2008) and Joe White (2007) had 15 game hitting streaks. This is the longest current streak in the Midwest League. Mike Trout of Cedar Rapids had a 16-game hitting streak earlier this season for the longest in the MWL in 2010. Gennett is hitting .340 (17-for-50) during this streak.

A BIT MORE ON THAT: Gennett has at least one hit in 19 of his last 20 games. An eight-game hitting streak was stopped in game one of a doubleheader on May 11 at Quad Cities. The current ten-game streak started in game two of that doubleheader on May 11. Gennett also has one hit in 25 of his last 27 games. He has been held hitless in six of the 40 games he has played this season. Gennett has only been held out of the hit column in consecutive games one time this season (April 18 & 19).

ABOUT THE OPPONENTS: The Burlington Bees are the Midwest League affiliate of the Kansas City Royals. They are 15-26 and in seventh place in the Midwest League’s Western Division. The Bees are 3-7 in their last 10 games. In 2009, the Bees went 29-41 in the first half, but qualified for the playoffs with a 35-34 second half record to win the wild card. Burlington advanced to the Midwest League Championship Series, but lost in three games to Fort Wayne. The Bees have won two straight Western Division titles. They were the Midwest League Champions in 2008.

2009 SEASON SERIES: Wisconsin went 5-9 against the Bees in 2009. The Rattlers were 1-2 in three games between the teams at Time Warner Cable Field last season.

2010 SEASON SERIES: The Rattlers trail the season series with the Bees 2-3. Burlington won two out of three from the Timber Rattlers at Community Field April 14-16. Burlington won 8-6 and 11-4 in the first two games of the series. Wisconsin won 9-0 in the series finale.

COMPARE AND CONTRAST: The Timber Rattlers are hitting .255 as a team. They have scored 208 runs (5.0/game) and hit 17 home runs. The Bees are hitting .237 as a team. They have scored 182 runs (4.4/game) and hit 21 homers. Wisconsin pitchers have a team ERA of 4.77 while allowing a total of 231 runs (5.5/game) this season. Burlington pitchers have a team ERA of 4.58 while allowing 220 runs (5.4/game). The Timber Rattler defense has committed 68 errors. The Bees defense has committed 55 errors. Wisconsin is 10-17 at home this season. Burlington is 7-13 away from Community Field this season.

BURLINGTON STARTING PITCHER: RHP Keaton Hayenga was selected in the 31st round of the 2007 draft out of Eastlake High School in Sammamish, Washington. Hayenga did not pitch professionally until 2009 due to a torn labrum in his throwing shoulder during his senior season. He turned down a basketball scholarship to Washington State to play baseball. Hayenga made his professional debut in 2009 with the Burlington (NC) Royals of the Appalachian League. He went 4-7 with a 3.66 ERA in 13 starts. In his start prior to this afternoon, Hayenga made his Midwest League debut with a scoreless inning of relief against Clinton on May 19. Today is the first time he is facing the Timber Rattlers and it is also the first time he is facing an affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers.

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