ABOUT TUESDAY: The Rattlers lost 6-2 to the Lansing Lugnuts at Oldsmobile Park. Wisconsin took an early 1-0 lead but home runs by Josh Bell and Brian Pettway put the Lugnuts up 2-1 on their way to the win. The Lugnuts won three out of the four games in the series from the Timber Rattlers.
GOING LONG: Paul Fagan, Wisconsin’s starting pitcher on Tuesday night, pitched the longest outing of the season by a Rattler pitcher this season. He went 7-2/3 innings and topped his 7-1/3 inning outing against Burlington on May 29. Fagan gave up six runs on eight hits and took the loss against the Lugnuts on Tuesday.
POWERING UP: Luis Valbuena has homered in two straight games. He hit his first homer of the season on Monday at Lansing. His second homer of the season was on Tuesday. That homer was his second of three hits for Valbuena on Tuesday. Valbuena was a double shy of the cycle in that game.
QUICK STARTS: The Rattlers scored in the first inning in each of their last three games.
SEARCHING FOR THE BIG INNING: The Timber Rattlers have not scored more than two runs in an inning since they scored four runs during the second inning of the second game of a doubleheader against the Kane County Cougars on June 7. The Rattlers haven’t scored more than two runs in an inning in a road game since Casey Craig hit a three-run homer during the fourth inning of a game at Kane County on May 28.
GETTING OVER FOUR: The Rattler offense has not scored more than four runs in a game since their 6-2 win over the Cougars on June 7. That was six games ago.
DOUBLING UP: This doubleheader tonight is the fifth of the season for the Rattlers. In the first four doubleheaders this season, the Rattlers have split three and been swept in one. The Dayton Dragons swept the Rattlers in a twinbill at Fox Cities Stadium on May 15. This is the first road doubleheader of the season for Wisconsin.
ABOUT THE OPPONENTS: The Swing of the Quad Cities are the Midwest League affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals. They are 30-33 and currently in fifth place in the Western Division of the Midwest League. In their most recent series, the Swing dropped three out of four games to the Southwest Michigan Devil Rays at C.O. Brown Stadium in Battle Creek, Michigan.
VS. QC IN ’06: Wisconsin and Quad Cities met at Fox Cities Stadium earlier this season with the Swing taking two out of three games. The fourth game in that series was rained out and is being made up as part of tonight’s doubleheader. At JOD in 2005, the Rattlers were 4-3 against the Swing.
PROSPECTING: BASEBALL AMERICA’S Top 30 Cardinal Prospect list includes two members of the current Swing roster. Outfielder Colby Rasmus, the first round pick of the Cardinals in 2005, is ranked as #2 on the list. Infielder Jose Martinez is rated #28. Pitcher Mark McCormick (#5 on BA’s list) is on the Swing’s disabled list. The Swing have thirteen members of the Cardinals 2005 draft class on their active roster. Rasmus, pitchers Jason Cairns (8th), Adam Daniels (15th), Jaime Garcia (22nd), Trey Hearne (28th), Matt Trent (30th), Scott Vander Weg (33rd), Kyle Sadlowski (34th), and Cory Meacham (37th). Other players from last year’s Cardinal draft: Bryan Anderson (4th), Randy Roth (10th), AJ Van Slyke (23rd), and Casey Rowlett (32nd).
GAME ONE OPPOSING STARTING PITCHER: Adam Daniels was a 15th round pick of the Cardinals out of Oklahoma State University in the 2005 draft. In his last start, Daniels lost at Cedar Rapids. On June 9 at Veterans Memorial Stadium, he gave up five runs (four earned) on four hits and four walks in 4-2/3 innings. This is Daniels’ first appearance against the Timber Rattlers and against an affiliate of the Seattle Mariners.
GAME TWO OPPOSING STARTING PITCHER: Jaime Garcia was a 20th round selection of the Cardinals out of Sharyland (TX) High School. In his last start, Garcia was beaten by the Southwest Michigan Devil Rays. On June 10 at C.O. Brown Stadium Garcia allowed four runs on seven hits and struck out six in the loss to the Devil Rays. This is Garcia’s first appearance against the Timber Rattlers and against an affiliate of the Seattle Mariners.
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