7/18/2007

Game Notes -- 7/18

ABOUT LAST NIGHT: The Beloit Snappers beat the Timber Rattlers 4-3. Chris Parmelee drew a bases loaded walk to force in the winning run in the bottom of the ninth. Rattler starting pitcher Ricky Orta struck out a career-high ten batters over six innings, but got a no decision. The loss was Wisconsin’s ninth straight.

EARLY LEADS: An RBI double by Joe White in the top of the fourth gave the Rattler a 1-0 lead. Beloit tied the game in the bottom of the inning on a homer by Danny Berg. Wisconsin went back in front on an RBI double Kuo Hui Lo in the top of the fifth.

CHANCE TO PAD: Beloit reliever Jose Lugo walked the first three Rattler batters of the top of the sixth inning. Matt Williams relieved Lugo and struck out Alex Liddi. Jamie McOwen singed in a run for a 3-1 advantage. Then, Williams got Jair Fernandez to ground in to a 6-4-3 double play to end the inning.

SNAPPING TO IT: Matt Betsill homered in the bottom of the sixth to get Beloit to within a run.

A DECADE OF SERVICE: Orta is the first Timber Rattler pitcher to strike out ten batters in a game this season. The last time a Rattler pitcher reached double digits in strikeouts was when Ruben Flores struck out ten Peoria Chiefs on June 24, 2006.

ELEVENTH: Keith Renaud relieved Orta in the bottom of the seventh inning and walked the lead off batter. One out later, an RBI single by Wilson Ramos tied the game. Renaud was charged with a blown save, the eleventh blown save by Rattler pitchers this season.

NUMBER NINE: The Rattlers have lost nine straight games. This streak matches their longest losing streak of the season. Wisconsin lost nine straight from June 2 through June 11 in the first half of the season.

BUT: The Rattlers have had leads in six of those nine losses.


HOME SOON: The Rattlers are 0-7 on their current road trip. They have this four game series at Beloit before returning home on Saturday night to host the South Bend Silver Hawks.

OPPOSING STARTER: Brian Kirwan was the 11th round pick of the Twins in the 2005 draft out of Santa Fe Christian High School in Solona Beach, California. He did not pitch professionally in 2005. Kirwan went 5-5 with a 5.63 ERA in 13 starts for Elizabethton in the Appalachian League in 2006. He was rated as the 14th best prospect in the Appalachian League by Baseball America. Kirwan joined the Snappers in late May and has made nine starts since then. Tonight will be his first appearance against the Rattlers and against an affiliate of the Seattle Mariners. In his last start, Kirwan got a no decision at West Michigan on July 12. He allowed four runs on seven hits over 6-1/3 innings. Kirwan struck out eight and walked one. The Whitecaps hit a pair of home runs off him that game. Kirwan has not won since a start on June 3 at Peoria.

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