GRAND CHUTE, WI – The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers gave their fans an encore. In their previous home playoff game, the Rattlers defeated the Quad Cities River Bandits 7-6 with a three-run ninth inning to win the West Division Finals. On Sunday night, in front of 4,183 fans at Neuroscience Group Field, the Timber Rattlers edged the Lake County Captains 5-4 in Game One of the Midwest League Finals, to take a 1-0 lead in the best-of-three series.
The teams entered the game, their first meeting since May 11, 2019, with nearly identical records from the regular season. The Captains finished the season 77-53 while the Rattlers were 77-54. Wisconsin was 39-26 at home while the Captains were 38-28 on the road during the regular season. In the playoffs, both teams were coming off two-game sweeps in very competitive series with all four games in the first round being decided by one run.
Lake County loaded the bases with one out in the top of the first inning. Wisconsin starting pitcher Ryan Birchard got the second out on a strikeout. Then, Ralphy Velazquez reached on an infield single to score the first run with another run scoring on an error on the play for a 2-0 lead.
Wisconsin responded in the bottom of the first to take the lead. Consecutive walks to Luis Lara and Cooper Pratt to open the frame set the stage for Luke Adams, who singled to right to score Lara and get Pratt to third. Later in the inning, with Pratt at third and Adams at second, Yophery Rodriguez, in his Timber Rattlers debut, grounded out to Velazquez at first. Velazquez stepped on first for the second out and threw home, but Pratt beat the throw to score the tying run.
Matt Wood gave Wisconsin the lead with a single to center to score Adams moments later.
The Captains tied the game with a run in the top of the second. Wuilfredo Antunez knocked in the run to even the score with a single.
The Rattlers went back in front in the bottom of the second. Tayden Hall opened the inning with a walk. Hedbert Pérez was next, and he ripped a double off the wall in right. Antunez had trouble picking up the ball on the warning track and that allowed Hall to score for the 4-3 lead.
In the top of the fourth, Lake County tied the game without a hit. Wisconsin reliever Stiven Cruz walked Jonah Advincula, the number nine hitter in the Captains order, to start the inning. A balk by Cruz and a grounder to the right side by Travis Bazzana allowed Advincula to third base with one out. Angel Genao drove in Advincula with a sacrifice fly to left to even the score.
Both teams left the bases loaded in the seventh inning. The Captains left the lead run at second in the eighth.
Hall, who started the game-winning rally in the bottom of the ninth against Quad Cities in Game Two of the Western Finals on Thursday night, singled to start the bottom the eighth. A wild pitch moved him to second, but he would be out trying to advance to third on a grounder to short off the bat of Jheremy Vargas.
Vargas, who entered the game as a pinch-runner for Pérez in the sixth inning moved to second on a grounder by Lara to set up the drama for Pratt.
The Wisconsin shortstop, who knocked in the tying run in the ninth inning in Game Two against Quad Cities, lined an 0-1 pitch off the back corner of the third base bag. The ball kicked past the tarp and against the fence for an RBI double to score Vargas with the go-ahead run.
Tyler Bryant, who saved Game One of the West Finals at Quad Cities on September 19, entered the game for the top of the ninth. Antunez started the top of the ninth with a single before Alex Mooney sent a slow grounder to short. Pratt started a 6-4-3 double play for two outs. Then, Byrant struck out Jake Fox on three pitches to end the game.
Wisconsin used six pitchers who combined to walk ten, but also strikeout fourteen while holding the Captains to five hits. Lake County stranded ten runners and went 2-for-14 with runners in scoring position.
Dikember Sánchez pitched around a one-out walk in the top of the eighth to earn the win.
Luke Adams was 3-for-5 with four stolen bases, a run scored, and an RBI for the Timber Rattlers to lead their ten-hit attack.
Wisconsin is one win away from their second Midwest League pennant. The Rattlers last won the league title in 2012.
Game Two of the Midwest League Championship Series is set for Classic Park in Eastlake, Ohio on Tuesday night. Alexander Cornielle has been announced as the starting pitcher for the Timber Rattlers. Matt Wilkinson is the announced starter for the Captains. Game time is 5:35pm CDT.
