GRAND CHUTE, WI – The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers returned home after a rough road trip and got exactly what they needed. The Rattlers picked up a 7-2 victory over the Lansing Lugnuts Tuesday night at Neuroscience Group Field. Luis Castillo, Eric Bitonti, and Daniel Dickinson all contributed at the plate from the middle of the order and the bullpen pitched 4-1/3 scoreless innings to seal the win for the Timber Rattlers.
Wisconsin (50-42 overall, 16-14 second half) used a little two-out bingo to take a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning. Bitonti started the rally with a two-out double off the wall in right. Dickinson followed with a double to the corner in right to score Bitonti.
Castillo was next, and he drove in Dickinson with a single to right.
The Lugnuts (40-54, 11-19) also scored twice with two outs when they got their turn in the top of the third. Dylan Fein tripled with one out but needed a two-out, RBI single by Gunner Gouldsmith to score. Rattler starting pitcher Wande Torres extended the inning by walking Logan Sauve, the Lansing’s number nine hitter in the lineup. Logan Sprague-Lott made that walk costly as he tied the game with an RBI single to left to score Gouldsmith.
Torres made an alert defensive play to keep the game tied. The Lugnuts had Ali Camarillo at second with two outs in the third. Fein hit a weak grounder out in front of the plate. Wisconsin catcher Yannic Walther bobbled the ball and had no play. Camarillo saw no one covering the plate and tried to score on the play. Torres picked up the ball and outraced Camarillo to home and tagged him out.
Torres would leave the game with runners on the corners and two outs in the top of the fifth inning. He walked four and struck out seven while scattering four hits in the game.
Dickinson and Castillo teamed up to give the Rattlers the lead with another two-out rally in the bottom of the fifth. Dickinson singled with two outs to knock Lansing starting pitcher Samuel Dutton out of the game. Dickinson stole second once reliever Riley Huge got into the game. Castillo dumped a single to right to score Dickinson with the go-ahead run.
The Rattlers tacked on a run in the sixth and three more in the seventh as the Lugnuts defense committed three errors over the two frames.
Daniel Guilarte reached second to start the sixth on a single and a throwing error. Yannic Walther reached on a bunt single to put runners at the corners. Braylon Payne grounded into a force play at second to get Guilarte home.
In the seventh, Bitonti had his second double of the night to force a pitching change from Huge to Abel Mercedes. Dickinson walked as the first batter faced by Mercedes. Tayden Hall’s sharp grounder to second with one out was misplayed to allow Bitonti to score. A throwing error to first with two outs allowed both Dickinson and Hall to score for the 7-2 lead.
The Wisconsin relievers were solid on Tuesday night. Quinton Low, who picked up his fifth win against no losses, got the final out of the top of the fifth and also pitched a scoreless sixth inning. Tanner Perry worked two scoreless, hitless frames with three strikeouts. Michael Fowler allowed a hit and a walk but nothing else in the ninth to close out the game.
Castillo had three hits and two RBI for the Rattlers. He leads Wisconsin in RBI with 57. Dickinson was on base four times with two hits and two walk as he scored three runs. Bitonti chipped in with a pair of doubles and two runs scored.
Game two of the series is Wednesday night at Neuroscience Group Field. J.D. Thompson (0-1, 4.71) is the scheduled starting pitcher for the Timber Rattlers. Lansing has named Devin Kirby (0-1, 13.50) as their starting pitcher. Game time is 6:40pm.
You don’t need to be a paleontologist to find the giveaway available on Dinosaur Night, but you do need to be one of the first 1,000 fans in attendance to receive the Whiffer on a T-Rex bobblehead courtesy of Feeding America - Eastern Wisconsin on Wednesday! Fans can also purchase a Dinosaur Night Jersey Ticket Package through this link which includes a game ticket and a new dinosaur-themed Timber Rattlers jersey for $44.
If you can’t make it to the ballpark, there are several opportunities to follow the action. Newstalk 93.9 WOSH and internet audio has the radio broadcast starting with the Community Blood Center Pregame Show at 6:20pm. The Spot Green Bay 32 will televise the game starting at 6:30pm. Bally Sports Live will have the game on their app, too.