This Date in Timber Rattlers History: September 16
Here is a look at Timber Rattlers games that were played on September 16.
1999: The Rattlers beat Burlington 4–3 in twelve innings at home in Game Three of the Midwest League Championship Series. Wisconsin starting pitcher Melqui Torres allowed one run on one hit in the first inning and had to leave the game with a back injury. Mark Buehrle was the starting pitcher for the Bees and he gave up a run in the bottom of the first to let Wisconsin tie the game. The Bees went back in front with a run in the top of the fourth. Craig Kuzmic tied the game 2–2 with an RBI double off Buehrle in the bottom of the eighth. Burlington went back in front with a run in the top of the tenth. THEN, Kuzmic cracked a two-out home run on a 1–2 pitch in the bottom of the tenth to keep the Rattlers season alive. Fernando Espino won the game for Wisconsin on a walkoff homer with two outs in the bottom of the twelfth. Buehrle allowed two runs on four hits with five walks and six strikeouts as he pitched into the eighth inning. The win allowed Wisconsin to stay alive in the series and force Game Four on September 17.
2005: The Rattlers beat South Bend 11–6 at home in Game Four of the Midwest League Championship Series. Wisconsin jumped on the Silver Hawks right away with a run in the first on a double by Jeff Clement. South Bend came back to tie the game on an RBI double by Orlando Mercado in the top of the second. The Rattlers took control of the game with five runs in the second on an RBI single by Brent Johnson, a sacrifice fly by Clement, and a three-run home run by Mike Wilson. South Bend chipped away with single runs in the fourth and fifth. HOWEVER, Matt Tuiasosopo came through with a two-out, RBI double in the bottom of the fifth and Johnson added an RBI single in the bottom of the sixth for an 9–3 lead. Wisconsin starting pitcher Shawn Nottingham left after giving up an RBI double in the seventh inning. Nottingham allowed eleven hits, but only allowed four runs over 6–2/3 innings. Chris Colton and Brandon Green added RBI hits in the bottom of the seventh and the Rattlers had an 11–4 lead. South Bend scored twice in the ninth, but Justin Jordan got the final two outs and the Rattlers forced Game Five of the Championship Series. Wilson had three hits and scored three runs to go along with his three RBI. South Bend outhit Wisconsin 13–12, but the Silver Hawks stranded twelve runners in the game.
2012: The Rattlers won 4–2 at Fort Wayne in Game Four of the Midwest League Championship Series. Wisconsin took a 2–0 lead with single runs in the first and second innings. Chadwin Stang had an RBI single in the first and Max Walla cracked a solo home run in the second. The TinCaps rallied to tie the game against Chad Thompson in the bottom of the third on an RBI double by Yeison Asencio and a sacrifice fly by Travis Whitmore. Thompson kept the game tied as he only allowed one more base runner, a two-out single by Whitmore in the sixth inning, before leaving the game. Thompson worked six innings and struck out three. Wisconsin went back into the lead in the top of the seventh on a two-run double by Nick Ramirez that scored Brandon Macias and Ben McMahan.
Brent Suter took over for Thompson and pitched three perfect innings out of the Timber Rattlers bullpen to close out the game. Suter struck out Lee Orr to end the game and clinch Wisconsin’s first Midwest League Pennant. The title was the first by an Appleton Professional Baseball team since 1984.
MLB DEBUTS:
Jim Ray (Foxes 1963) made his MLB debut with the Houston Astros in a game against the San Francisco Giants on September 16, 1965. Ray pitched a scoreless, hitless top of the ninth inning in the game.
Carlos C. Maldonado (Foxes 1987) made his MLB debut with the Kansas City Royals in a game against the Cleveland Indians on September 16, 1990. Maldonado allowed two runs on two hits with a strikeout in 2/3 of an inning. Maldonado struck out Mark McLemore to start the top of the seventh inning, but gave up a single and a double before retiring Chris James with an RBI grounder and being replaced by Jeff Montgomery.
Shawn Estes (Foxes 1993 & 1994 and Rattlers 1995) made his MLB debut with the San Francisco Giants in a game against the Pittsburgh Pirates on September 16, 1995. Estes was the starting pitcher and allowed five runs on four hits and three walks with five strikeouts over 5–1/3 innings. Estes struck out Jacob Brumfield to start the bottom of the first inning for his first MLB strikeout. Estes had a 2–1 lead, but allowed four runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to be charged with the loss.
