Pitching Propels Rattlers to Win

DAVENPORT, IA – Brandon Knarr won his fifth straight start and the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers beat the Quad Cities River Bandits 4-1 on Sunday afternoon at Modern Woodmen Park.

Joe Gray Jr blasted a two-out, two-run home run in the top of the third inning to put the Rattlers (22-11) up 2-0.

Darrien Miller was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded in the top of the fifth to add to Wisconsin’s lead.

Tyler Black kept his hot streak going with an RBI double in the top of the sixth.  Black went 10-for-21 in the series with two homers, eleven RBI, and six runs scored.

Knarr was on his game on Sunday.  He pitched seven scoreless innings, allowed three hits, walked one, and struck out ten.  At one point of Sunday’s game, Knarr retired seventeen of eighteen batters faced.  In the series against the River Bandits, Knarr pitched twice, won both games, allowed two runs on seven hits with two walks, and struck out fifteen over twelve innings.

Quad Cities (12-21) threatened in the bottom of the eighth inning as Wisconsin reliever Joey Matulovich hit the first two batters of the inning and gave up a single to load the bases with no outs.  Matulovich got the next two batters on a popup and a strikeout.  However, a walk to Kale Emshoff forced in a run and brought the go-ahead run to the plate.

James Meeker was called into the game and he got a strikeout to end the threat and maintain the 4-1 lead.

Meeker allowed a lead-off single in the bottom of the ninth before he retired the next three batters to close out the game and his third save of the season.

Wisconsin went 5-1 in the six-game series at Modern Woodmen Park.  They are 10-2 in twelve meetings with the River Bandits this season.

The Timber Rattlers are off on Monday.  They start a series with the South Bend Cubs at Neuroscience Group Field at Fox Cities Stadium on Tuesday night with a game time is 6:40pm.

Be one of the first 1,000 fans to attend Tuesday’s game and receive a collectable player poster of Milwaukee Brewers pitching prospect Antoine Kelly from Chick-fil-A.  Tuesday is also a Bang for Your Buck Night with NEW Manufacturing Alliance and Y100.  All fans may enjoy Cher-Make hotdogs and 16-ounce Pepsi Products for $2.  Those of legal drinking age may purchase 16-ounce domestic beers for $2.

If you can’t make it out to the stadium, there are several ways to follow the action.  The radio broadcast is on AM1280, WNAM and on internet audio starting with the pregame show at 6:20pm.  The game is also available on MiLB.tv.