It’s been a long day and we are still ironing out some of the bugs with the broadcast (radio, internet, in house, and MiLB.tv)and the highlights.

Here are a few things to warm you on a cold night:
Clint Coulter hit the ball really really far for his game one homer.
Orlando Arcia had a hit in both games to extend his hitting streak to seven games
The Timber Rattlers actually played two games on Saturday!!!!  TWO!!!!

Game one:
Kane County 6
Wisconsin 7
Boxscore | TimberRattlers.com story

Highlights:

Game two:
Kane County 3
Wisconsin 1
11 innings
Boxscore | TimberRattlers.com story

Highlights:

Another twinbill on the docket for Sunday.  Game one starts at 1:05pm.

Thank you to everyone who came out to see the 2013 Timber Rattlers and the renovations tonight.  It wasn’t a great night as far as the weather was concerned, but…I think this is going to be a great season!

April 8, 2013
Cedar Rapids 10
Wisconsin 2
Boxscore | TimberRattlers.com story

It was a hectic day…as in, I was surprised that I got everything done in time for the game tonight.  But, somehow, it all came together to start the season.  But, you don’t want to hear me go on and on about my day.  Here are some things about the game.

Clint Coulter’s home run….just watch the highlight video.  Whoa!

Tough Error on Orlando Arcia led to three unearned runs in the top of the eighth inning.  He had to charge a slowly hit ball on a soft infield and make a throw on the run to get a speedy runner.  An on target throw gets the runner and ends the inning.  The low throw got away and three runs would score in the inning.

How fast was the runner? Candido Pimentel was the runner and he beat out a routine grounder to second base in the second inning.  I didn’t think there was any way he would be safe.  But, man.  He beat the play by at least half a step.

Rodolfo Fernandez is from Cuba.  Tonight, he became an honorary Wisconsinite.  See the last two pictures to see why I have bestowed that honor upon him

Really nice crowd for a special evening.

Hello Bratzooka! I’ve missed you!

Rodolfo Fernandez is from Cuba. It was 38 degrees when this picture was taken…

…For crying out loud, I had a jacket on when it was 38 degrees during this game,

There was a problem with the audio on the highlights tonight.  But, you should appreciate the camera angle on the Clint Coulter home run.  Kudos to the camera operator on that one.  Also making the highlights would be some nice defensive plays on a cold night at the ballpark.

The Timber Rattlers won the first two games of the season opening series in Peoria.  The Chiefs won the second two games of the series.  The Rattlers are coming home to start a 7-game homestand with a 2-2 record.

April 7, 2013
Timber Rattlers 2
Peoria Chiefs 7
Boxscore | TimberRattlers.com Story

Here are the highlights – all Chiefs unfortunately:

As mentioned in the story, Orlando Arcia and Tyrone Taylor both had a single on Sunday.  That extends their season opening hitting streaks to four games.

Arcia struck out one time, but continues to hit the ball hard when he makes contact.  Nothing really spectacular in the field today.  But, there were a couple of plays that were really, really nice.  Don’t take my word for it.  Make it to a game this season and see for yourself.

Clint Coulter was just a bit out in front of a pitch in the fourth inning. He hit the ball long enough, but it hooked foul.

Mitch Haniger showed his speed on the triple he hit in the sixth inning.  That’s very good.

Here are some photos….still getting the hang of it.

Ryan Gibbard makes a pitch during Sunday’s game.

Mitch Haniger cannot get out of the way in time.

This is Michael Aldrete. He is not getting ready to go to the plate. This is him going to his set position.

This picture of Orlando Arcia was supposed to be the picture that went with the game story on the website. BUT, I would have had to crop out Arcia’s head to make it fit. I’ll figure this photography thing out one day….along with the announcing thing.

Three game series with Cedar Rapids starts on Monday at 6:35pm. here are the pitching matchups:

MON: RHP Preston Gainey vs. LHP David Hurlbut
TUE: RHP Tyler Wagner vs. LHP Brett Lee
WED: RHP Damien Magnifico vs. LHP Taylor Rogers

By the way, the Kernels are 3-1 on the season.  They took three of four from the Beloit Snappers at home to start the season.  The Kernels also just had a combined no-hitter.  It was Sunday.

History was made Sunday afternoon as three pitchers combined to no-hit the Beloit Snappers in a 9-1 win for the Kernels (3-1).

Starter Tyler Duffey and relievers Josue Montanez and Tim Atherton combined to no-hit the Snappers (1-3) in the Kernels’ first 9-inning no hitter since Ramon Ortiz threw one against Quad Cities in 2007. Stephen Locke notched a no-hitter in 2005 against Peoria in a rain-shortened 5-inning game.

Duffey exited the contest after 7 perfect innings. The Houston, Texas, native was efficient in his first professional start, as he left with just 76 pitches to his name and struck out 7.

All three games start at 6:35pm. I can’t wait to get home.  See you there!

The Rattlers fall in extra innings on Saturday.  This was the second extra-inning game out of three games played this season.  That does not necessarily mean that the Rattlers will play 93 games that go extra innings out of the 140 that are on the schedule.  (Fun with small sample sizes)

April 6, 2013:
Timber Rattlers 3
Peoria Chiefs 4
Boxscore | TimberRattlers.com Story

The wind was howling out to left. No homers and not a slugfest.

Here is a very Peoria-centric highlight package.  It does include one of Tyrone Taylor’s diving catches.  It does NOT include the play by Orlando Arcia that was completely ridiculous at how good it was….even after I requested it.  To be honest, we probably wouldn’t have put in a Chiefs play like that in our home highlights.  FRONT OFFICE RIVALRY!

You make the call on the play at the plate.  The cut to the low first base camera makes it tough to tell.

A few points for the season so far:
Peoria has scored nine runs in the first three games.  Six of those nine runs have come after there were two outs and nobody on base.   The run that scored in the bottom of the 13th occurred after reliever Taylor Mangum retired the first two batters and made it look like the game was headed for the 14th.

Did I mention that defensive play by Arcia and how ridiculous it was?  I did?  How about his offense today?  No? Okay.  He was 1-for-5 with an RBI, a stolen base, and a hit batsman.  BUT, his line drive to third in the fifth inning was one of the hardest hit baseballs today by a Timber Rattler AND his flyout to right in the 13th was a nice defensive play by Nick Martini.

Mike Garza was also robbed of at least one RBI – probably two – in the 10th.  Rattlers had runners at second and third with two outs.  Garza sent a screaming one-hopper right at the feet of Patrick Wisdom at third base.  Somehow, Wisdom came up with the ball and made the play to first for the final out.  Garza has hit the ball hard a couple of times, but the Chiefs have made some nice defensive plays against him.

I remembered where the sports setting for my camera was.

Tyrone Taylor slides in safely to third base after Orlando Arcia’s RBI single in the third inning.

This is Mike Garza being robbed by the shortstop in the third inning. Mejia made the diving stop and flipped to second for the inning ending force out to keep Arcia from scoring.

Brent Suter: 5IP, 4H, R, BB, 4K

Of course, I zoomed in on the hitter in this photo. Had I kept it out at the usual distance, you would have seen Arcia’s liner heading right into Wisdom’s glove.