The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers finished their 2021 campaign with a flourish as four pitchers combined on a three-hit, 2-0 shutout over the Great Lakes Loons at Dow Diamond on Sunday afternoon.  The game was he season finale for both teams.

Zavier Warren gave Wisconsin the lead in the third inning with a two-out, solo home run to right.  The homer, Warren’s third as a Rattler, was Wisconsin’s tenth home run of the series in Great Lakes.

The home run by Warren also extended the team’s home run streak.  The Timber Rattlers hit at least one homer in their last ten games of the 2021 season.

That run was enough.

TJ Shook was the starting pitcher for the Rattlers and he pitched around two hits, a walk, and an error with four strikeouts over four innings.

Freisis Adames was the first reliever out of the Wisconsin bullpen.  He allowed a walk with no strikeouts over three innings.  The Loons had two on against him in the seventh after an error and a one-out single.  Adames protected the lead by getting an inning-ending 6-4-3 double play.

Brady Schanuel issued a two-out walk and made an errant pickoff throw to allow the tying run to get into scoring position before getting the final out of the eighth.

In the ninth, the Rattlers added an insurance run through a fortunate series of events.  Chad McClanahan sent a high pop down the line in right and it dropped in for a double.  Joey Wiemer was up with one out and sent a routine grounder up the middle.  The ball hit the second base and caromed into center for a single and McClanahan raced home with an insurance run.

Cristían Sierra got the ball in the bottom of the ninth and struck out the first two batters he faced in the bottom of the ninth.  However, Sierra hit Joe Vranesh with an 0-2 to bring the tying run to the plate.  Sierra got the final out on a popup to McClanahan at third to pick up his first professional save.

The shutout was the fifth of the season for the Timber Rattlers pitchers.  It was their first since July 25 when they shutout South Bend 3-0 at home. 

The victory gave the Rattlers five wins out of six games against the Loons in the series.  Wisconsin also went 9-3 in the season series with Great Lakes.

The Rattlers finished the season with a 59-60 record.  The Loons completed their season at 63-57.