7/28/2010

July 28, 2010: Game Notes

ABOUT MONDAY: The Timber Rattlers split a doubleheader at South Bend with the Silver Hawks. South Bend won game one 4-3. Wisconsin won game two 4-3.

GAME ONE RECAP: The teams traded leads four times. Wisconsin scored first with a run in the first inning. The Silver Hawks scored twice in the fourth. Wisconsin scored a pair of runs in the top of the fifth inning to take a 3-2 lead. David Nick hit a two-out, two-run homer off Nick Bucci to put the Hawks in front 4-3 for the winning margin.

GAME TWO RECAP: The Rattlers grabbed a 2-0 lead with a pair of runs in the second inning. South Bend tied the game in with single runs in the fourth and fifth innings. Michael Marseco and D’Vontrey Richardson broke the tie with consecutive RBI doubles with two outs in the inning. Jon Pokorny allowed a run in the bottom of the seventh, but held on for his tenth save.

FINE WAY TO END IT: Richardson’s RBI double in the top of the seventh inning of game two ended a 0-for-21 streak for him.

WELCOME BACK: Hiram Burgos was the winning pitcher of the second game. Burgos started the season as the closer for the Timber Rattlers, but was sent to Helena in Mid-May. Burgos returned to allow two runs (one earned) on four hits over six innings for the victory. Burgos walked one and struck out five in that second game at South Bend.

DOUBLEHEADER RESULTS: Monday was the eighth doubleheader of the season for the Timber Rattlers. In the eight twinbills during 2010, Wisconsin has swept one, been swept in three, and split four. This number of doubleheaders does not include the four Timber Rattlers games that have been suspended and completed the following day.

THE ROAD EAST: The Rattlers played their final two regular season games against the Eastern Division on Monday. The Rattlers went 10-14 against the Eastern Division this season: 3-9 at home and 7-5 on the road.

ROSTER MOVES: Wisconsin made two moves before tonight’s game. RHP Andy Sauter has been placed on the disabled list. LHP Tony Butler, who was with Wisconsin in 2007, has joined the Rattlers from Helena.

HOPE YOU ENJOYED IT: The Rattlers had a scheduled off day yesterday. They are set to play 20 straight days (July 28 to August 16) until their next scheduled off day on August 17.

ABOUT THE OPPONENTS: The Peoria Chiefs are the Midwest League affiliate of the Chicago Cubs. Peoria went 38-31 in the first half and missed the playoffs. They finished two games behind Quad Cities for the Western Division Wild Card. Peoria is 12-16 in the second half and are currently 50-47 overall this season. In their most recent series, the Chiefs took two out of three at Lake County.

2010 SEASON SERIES: The Rattlers and Chiefs have played six games this season, all in the first half and Wisconsin is 1-5 against the Chiefs. Peoria swept a three game series from the Rattlers at O’Brien Field from April 27-29 by scores of 5-4, 4-2, and 8-7. The Chiefs took two out of three from the Rattlers at Time Warner Cable Field May 18-20. The Chiefs won their two games in Grand Chute 11-7 and 9-6 in 15 innings. The Rattlers beat the Chiefs 14-1 on May 18.

COMPARE AND CONTRAST: The Timber Rattlers are hitting .254 as a team. They have scored 469 runs (4.8/game) and hit 56 home runs. The Chiefs are hitting .263 as a team. They have scored 453 runs (4.6/game) and hit 42 homers. Wisconsin pitchers have a team ERA of 4.46 while allowing a total of 490 runs (5.0/game) this season. Peoria pitchers have a team ERA of 4.12 while allowing a total of 467 runs (4.8/game). The Timber Rattler defense has committed 136 errors. The Chiefs defense has committed 233 errors. Wisconsin is 19-29 in road games this season. Peoria is 30-18 at home in 2010.

PROSPECTING: Baseball America’s Prospect Handbook placed three members of the current Peoria roster on their list of Top 30 prospects in the Chicago Cubs organization. Infielders Hak-Ju Lee (#6) and Logan Watkins (#7) are both in the top ten. Pitcher Jeff Antigua is at #19 and is the only current Peoria pitcher on the list.

PEORIA STARTING PITCHER: RHP Ryan Searle was signed as a non-drafted free agent out of Australia in 2007. He is 4-5 with a 4.65ERA in 15 games (12 starts) for the Chiefs this season. He spent all of 2009 and the start of 2010 pitching for Daytona, the Florida State League affiliate of the Chicago Cubs. Searle was 7-11 with Daytona in 2009 and started the year 1-1 in four games (two starts) before joining Peoria in early May. In his start prior to this evening, Searle lost his fourth straight decision by giving up four runs on six hits over four innings at Fort Wayne on July 22. He walked four and struck out three in that start. Tonight is the first time that Searle is facing the Timber Rattlers. He has made six appearances (three starts) against Brewers affiliates in his professional career. Searle pitched three scoreless innings with five strikeouts against the Arizona League Brewers in 2007. In the Florida State League during the 2009 season, Searle went 2-1 against the Brevard County Manatees, Milwaukee’s affiliate in the FSL. On April 11 of this season, Searle picked up the win in a relief outing against the Manatees.

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