GRAND CHUTE, WI – The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers could not find the final out of the sixth inning against the Peoria Chiefs on Saturday night at Neuroscience Group Field and it would cost them. Peoria scored five times with two outs in the sixth to push their lead from 3-1 to 8-1 on the way to an 8-3 victory over the Rattlers.
Peoria (24-26) took a 2-0 lead on back-to-back home runs by Jesús Báez Jack Gurevitch. Báez hit the first pitch from Wisconsin starting pitcher Jason Woodward out for his tenth home run of the season. Gurevitch drove a 1-1 pitch out of the ballpark for the early two-run advantage.
Wisconsin (25-22) got on the scoreboard without a hit in the bottom of the second. Eric Bitonti walked and stole second. Tayden Hall moved Bitonti to third with a grounder to second. Luis Castillo knocked in Bitonti with another grounder to second.
Báez started another rally for the Chiefs when he blooped a double to right with one out in the third inning. Jalin Flores cashed in the chance with a two-out single to right to score Báez.
The Timber Rattlers had three walks and a single in the bottom of the third but could not score. The key play happened when Josiah Ragsdale was thrown out trying to go first to third on a single to center by Jose Cordoba for the second out. Peoria starter Jacob Odle walked the next two batters to load the bases before getting the final out.
The Chiefs pulled away in their half of the sixth inning against reliever Ayendy Bravo. Josh Kross, who started the inning with a walk, was at third with two outs. Jesús Suárez singled to knock in Kross and start a string of six consecutive Peoria batters to reach base. A walk to Luis Pino was followed by an RBI single from Cordoba, a walk to Baez, and a bases-loaded walk to Gurevitch. Bjorn Johnson relieved Bravo and gave up a two-run single to Flores before getting the final out with a strikeout.
Eric Bitonti got the Rattlers going in the bottom of the sixth with a double. Then, Tayden Hall launched a homer to left to cut their deficit to five runs. That was as close as the Rattlers would get.
Wisconsin’s home record fell to 9-15 with the loss. Peoria clinched a series win over the Rattlers with their fourth victory in the first six games of the seven-game set.
The series finale is Sunday afternoon at Neuroscience Group Field. Wande Torres (3-3, 5.45) is the scheduled starting pitcher for the Timber Rattlers. The Chiefs will send Blake Aita (1-2, 3.62) to the mound. Game time is 1:10pm CDT.
The featured giveaway on Sunday is a Jacob Misiorowski bobblehead presented by Steinhafels. Be one of the first 1,000 fans into the stadium for this game to receive your bobblehead. Fans are allowed on the outfield from noon to 12:30pm for Catch on the Field presented by TruGreen. Timber Rattlers players and coaches have one more alternate jersey to wear in the series – the 2026 Brewers Sunday jerseys get their turn on Sunday afternoon. After the game, players will be available for autographs presented by Fox Cities Cards.
If you can’t make it to the ballpark, Newstalk 93.9 WOSH and internet audio has the radio broadcast starting with the Community Blood Center Pregame Show at 12:50pm. Bally Sports Live will also have the game on their app.