8/11/2010

August 11, 2010: Game Notes

ABOUT LAST NIGHT: The Rattlers beat the LumberKings 6-5 in Clinton. Kentrail Davis had three hits and drove in the tie-breaking run in the top of the ninth with a two-out double. Clinton committed four errors in the game. The Rattlers won the final two games of the series at Clinton to earn a split in the four game set.

HOW DID WE GET THERE? The Rattlers scored three times in the second inning. The LumberKings got a run in the third, three in the third, and one in the fourth. The Rattlers tied the game with single runs in the fifth and sixth.

MAKING A RUN: Khris Davis led off the second inning with a home run. Davis has homered to start the second inning in each of the last two games. He has 18 home runs on the year. The Timber Rattlers franchise record is 21 and is shared by Juan Silvestre and Matt Hagen.

OCHO: Rattlers reliever Adrian entered the game in the fourth inning and struck out eight over 3-1/3 innings.

COMEDY OF ERRORS: Two Clinton errors allowed the Rattlers to score their other two runs in the top of the third. In the fifth, another error on a potential inning ending double play ball let a run score. In the sixth, an errant pickoff throw sent Chris Dennis to third.

TYING IT UP: Dennis scored on a two out wild pitch in the sixth to tie the game 5-5.

KENTRAIL’S CUTS: Last night, Kentrail Davis went 3-for-5 for the second game in a row. He completed the series in Clinton 7-for-18 with four doubles.

THE WINNING RUN: Davis was at the plate with a 3-2 count and Scooter Gennett was at first base with two outs. Davis lined a double into the left field corner and Gennett scored the run to put the Rattlers up 6-5.

CLOSE IT DOWN: Jon Pokorny walked the leadoff batter in the bottom of the ninth inning. He got the next three outs for his twelfth save in 13 chances.

ABOUT THE OPPONENTS: The Quad Cities River Bandits are the Midwest League affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals. They finished the first half with a record of 40-29 and won the first half Western Division Wild Card. The River Bandits are currently 26-16 in the second half of the season to give them an overall record of 66-45.

2010 SEASON SERIES: The Rattlers and River Bandits have played 11 games this season. The Rattlers are 4-7 against Quad Cities. The Rattlers are 2-3 at Quad Cities. Wisconsin dropped two out of three games at Modern Woodmen Park in a series April 17-19. In a rain-soaked series May 10-12, the Rattlers and River Bandits played a doubleheader on May 11 and the teams split the twinbill while the third game of the series on May 12 was rained out and not rescheduled.

COMPARE AND CONTRAST: The Timber Rattlers are hitting .252 as a team. They have scored 513 runs (4.6/game) and hit 64 home runs. The River Bandits are hitting .257 as a team. They have scored 584 runs (5.3/game) and hit 94 homers. Wisconsin pitchers have a team ERA of 4.49 while allowing a total of 563 runs (5.0/game) this season. Quad Cities pitchers have a team ERA of 3.89 while allowing a total of 516 runs (4.6/game). The Timber Rattler defense has committed 152 errors. The River Bandits defense has committed 140 errors. Wisconsin is 21-34 in road games this season. Quad Cities is 32-22 at home in 2010.

PROSPECTING: Baseball America’s Prospect Handbook listed three members of the current River Bandits roster on their list of top 30 prospects in the St. Louis organization. Pitcher Shelby Miller, a first round pick out of Brownwood (TX) High School in 2009, is rated as St. Louis’ #1 prospect. Catcher Robert Stock, the Cardinals second round pick out of the University of Southern California in 2009, is #10. Pitcher Joe Kelley (#21) is also on the list.

QUAD CITIES STARTING PITCHER: RHP Shelby Miller was selected by the Cardinals with the 19th overall selection in the 2009 draft. St. Louis picked him out of Brownwood (TX) High School and Baseball America has rated him as the #1 prospect in the Cardinals’ organization. He had committed to play college baseball at Texas A&M, but signed with St. Louis at the August 17 deadline. He appeared in two games (both starts) for the River Bandits in 2009. Miller allowed three runs (two earned) over three innings with two walks and two strikeouts in thos two starts last season. In his start prior to today, Miller lost to Clinton on August 6 as he allowed seven runs (six earned) on nine hits with eight strikeouts over five innings. In 2010, Miller is 5-5 with a 3.86ERA and 103 strikeouts in 79-1/3 innings. Tonight is his first appearance against the Timber Rattlers and his first appearance against an affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers.

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