South Bend, IN: The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers went 1-5 against the South Bend Cubs in a six-game series last week at Four Winds Field.
The Rattlers come home with a 15-14 second half record (49-42 overall). Wisconsin currently holds fourth place in the Midwest League West Division second-half standings, trailing the first place Beloit Sky Carp by 4-1/2 games.
The Rattlers lost the two opening games 5-2 on Tuesday and 6-3 on Wednesday. Thursday's 4-2 loss was the just the sixth time Wisconsin came up short when allowing four or fewer runs in 2026. Friday’s game took 11 innings to decide the winner, as South Bend topped the Rattlers 9-8. Wisconsin rallied late in their 6-4 Saturday win and fell in the finale 8-3.
The Rattlers have a series record of 10-5-2 this season.
Wisconsin is also now 27-18 in away games this season, the best road record in the Midwest League.
The Rattlers pitching staff put up a 5.57 ERA and struck out 43 over the course of the series.
JD Thompson returned to the Rattler rotation, pitching for the first time since 06/02 at Cedar Rapids. Thompson started Friday’s game and allowed no earned runs, one hit, two walks and struck out six.
Chandler Welch also had six strikeouts as he pitched five scoreless innings across two relief appearances and allowed just one base hit. Welch allowed no walks in his impressive week of work, as 45 of his 59 pitches were strikes.
Garrett Hodges was also effective out of the bullpen. He pitched four scoreless, innings with four strikeouts and no walks over two appearances . Hodges earned his third save of the year in Saturday’s win.
Bjorn Johnson, who also returned from injury last week, earned the win on Saturday, his first of the season. Johnson had not pitched since 05/30 vs. Peoria.
Daniel Corniel continued his own climb back from an injury, pitching five innings for the first time since August of 2024 on Thursday. He allowed two earned runs and exited the game with the Rattlers down 2-1.
The Rattlers struggled at the plate against the Cubs pitching, averaging .214 as a team. Fifteen of Wisconsin’s 42 hits went for extra bases, including twelve doubles.
Luis Castillo had five extra base hits with a .333 batting average and four RBI in the series. Castillo hit three doubles, a triple and his twelfth home run of the season.
Braylon Payne and Daniel Dickinson also had three doubles each. Payne batted .348 in the series and scored seven runs while Dickinson had a .286 average with four runs. Dickinson’s five-RBI week tied for the team high.
Daniel Guilarte’s five-RBI performance on Friday is a new professional high. He went 2-for-5 in the outing with a two-run double in the eleventh inning to give the Rattlers an 8-6 lead. Gularte had a second multi-hit game in Saturday's win. He batted 5-for-18 throughout the series with a team leading three stolen bases.
Other offensive contributions included:
Blayberg Diaz batting 3-for-10 with a double and two RBIs
Luis Peña batting .300 with a double, four runs scored and his second home run of the season
The Rattlers are back in action at Neuroscience Group Field on Tuesday, July 27th for a six-game series against the Lansing Lugnuts.
SCHEDULE & PROMOTIONS
TUE, July 28 - 6:40 PM: Bang For Your Buck
WED, July 29 - 6:40 PM: Dinosaur Night + Dino Whiffer Bobblehead Giveaway
THU, July 30 - 6:40 PM: Gladiator Night + Craft Brews and Brats
FRI, July 31 - 6:40 PM: Neon Foam Stick Giveaway + Postgame Fireworks
SAT, August 1 - 6:40 PM: Princess Night with VIP Pregame Tea Party Package + Postgame Fireworks
SUN, August 2 - 1:10 PM: Seat Cushion Giveaway + Park in the Park