(WISCONSIN TIMBER RATTLERS) PEORIA, IL – The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers used the long ball to beat the Peoria Chiefs Wednesday night at Dozer Park. The Midwest League leaders in homers hit four solo shots and received solid pitching to record an 8-5 victory over the Chiefs.
The Timber Rattlers (16-11) scored twice with two outs in the top of the second inning. Josiah Ragsdale started the inning with a walk, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt, and stole third. David Garcia drove in Ragsdale with an infield single. Luiyin Alastre kept the inning alive with a walk. Then, Braylon Payne singled to center to knock in Garcia for a 2-0 lead.
Peoria (13-15) got right back into the game in the bottom of the third. Josh Kross hit a solo homer with one out. Cade McGee singled and Jesús Suárez followed with a two-run homer for a 3-2 lead.
Tayden Hall tied the game in the top of the fourth with a lead-off home run to center. Andrew Fischer put the Rattler back in front with a two-out, RBI double to score Luiyin Alastre. The double by Fischer ended an 0-for-13 streak at the plate.
The Chiefs evened the score in their half of the fourth. Won-Bin Cho hustled a single into a double with one out and went to third on a flyout to right. A wild pitch by Wande Torres on an 0-2 pitch allowed Cho to score the tying run.
Hall gave the Rattlers the lead in the top of the fifth. Ragsdale had walked, stole second, and moved to third on a passed ball. Hall lined a single to center to score Ragsdale for the 5-4 lead.
Fischer and Josh Adamczewski extended the Wisconsin advantage in the sixth inning with back-to-back solo homers with two outs.
Torres went back out for the bottom of the sixth and gave up a lead-off walk before retiring the next two batters. He would leave the game with a runner at third and a 7-4 lead.
Jose Cordoba welcomed reliever Jack Seppings to the game with a single to center and the Rattlers lead was down to two runs.
Ragsdale provided some insurance with a lead-off homer in the top of the eighth. It was his third home run of the season. Ragsdale went 2-for-3 with two walks, two stolen bases, and three runs scored in the game.
Seppings worked a scoreless seventh, eighth, and ninth to close out the game for his first save of the season.
Torres allowed five runs on seven hits but walked just two while striking out five over 5-2/3 innings to earn his second win of the season.
Wisconsin had their second four-homer game as a team this season with the quartet of blasts on Wednesday. The Rattlers lead the Midwest League in homers with 37.
Game three of the series is Thursday night at Dozer Park. Braylon Owens (1-0, 3.38) is the scheduled starting pitcher for the Timber Rattlers. Yhoiker Fajardo (1-0, 1.37) is set to start for the Chiefs. Game time at Dozer Park is 6:35pm CDT.
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