Wisconsin Beats South Bend 4-2 for Third Straight Win

May 13, 2023 – Midwest League (MWL) – Wisconsin Timber Rattlers News Release

GRAND CHUTE, WI – The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers won their third straight game with a 4-2 victory over the South Bend Cubs on Saturday afternoon at Neuroscience Group Field at Fox Cities Stadium. Ben Metzinger drove in two runs and scored a third for the Wisconsin offense. Rattlers pitchers Joseph Hernandez, Edwin Jimenez, and Kaleb Bowman held the Cubs to one earned run on three hits.

Eric Brown Jr wasted no time in extending his current on-base streak to thirteen games by smacking a single to center on the first pitch of the bottom of the first inning. Brown went to second on a grounder and stole third. Metzinger knocked in Brown with a single and the Rattlers were up 1-0.

Brown and Metzinger combined to double Wisconsin’s lead in the bottom of the third. Brown singled to start the inning again. He stole second with one out this time. Then, Metzinger singled to send Brown home for the 2-0 lead. Brown went 2-for-4 with a walk in the game. He is 15-for-43 with ten walks and eight stolen bases during his on-base streak.

South Bend (17-15) came back to tie the game in the top of the fourth. A lead-off walk and an error to the first two batters put Cubs on second and third. Bryce Ball singled to left to knock in both runners. Christian Franklin followed with a single and the Cubs had the lead run at second with no outs.

Hernandez, the Wisconsin starting pitcher, regrouped to retire the next three batters in the fourth and the side in order in the top of the fifth. Hernandez struck out five over five innings, allowed three hits, and walked just two.

Wisconsin (11-20) went back in front in the bottom of the fifth inning. Darrien Miller doubled, Metzinger singled, and Je’Von Ward walked to load the bases with no outs. A force at the plate got Miller for the first out, but a wild pitch allowed Metzinger to score the go-ahead run.

Jimenez took over for Hernandez to start the top of the sixth inning and pitched three perfect innings with two strikeouts.

The Rattlers added an insurance run in the bottom of the eighth inning. Ernesto Martinez Jr doubled to left to start the inning. Terence Doston singled to center, and Martinez raced home to make it a two-run lead for Wisconsin.

Bowman took over on the mound for Jimenez to start the top of the ninth. He struck out the lead-off batter but walked Ball to bring the tying run to the plate. Bowman didn’t let the free pass bother him as he got…