The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers were held to two hits, but three Wisconsin pitchers held the South Bend Cubs to 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position and Wisconsin held on to beat the Cubs 1-0 in game one of a doubleheader at Four Winds Field.
Jadher Areinamo gave the Timber Rattlers (5-1) the lead and extending his consecutive game streak with an RBI to five in the second inning. Mike Boeve started the inning with a walk, Matt Wood singled with one out, and a wild pitch by Cubs starting pitcher Drew Gray moved both runners into scoring position. Areinamo worked the count to 3-2 before sending a fly ball to right-center that was deep enough to score Boeve for a 1-0 lead.
The Cubs (1-5) threatened in almost every inning after the Rattlers took the lead.
South Bend had a two-out double in the second, a lead-off double in the third, and a two-out double in the fourth against Wisconsin starting pitcher Brett Wichrowski. However, Wichrowski kept the Cubs off the scoreboard. He walked none and struck out five over four innings for a no decision.
Will Childers took over for Wichrowski in the fifth inning and gave up a one-out single and a wild pitch to put the tying run at second. Childers maintained the lead and went back out for the sixth inning. Rafael Morel singled with one out. With two outs, took off early for second on a stolen base attempt. Childers calmly stepped off the mound and picked Morel off for the third out as the Cubs runner tried to get back to first.
Yerlin Rodríguez, who picked up the save on Tuesday in game one of the series, got the first out of the seventh. Then, Yohendrick Pinango singled and took second on a wild pitch. Rodríguez fell behind Ed Howard with two straight balls. Pinango attempted to steal third on the 2-0 pitch and was thrown out on a perfect throw by Wood.
The game wasn’t over though. Howard and Casey Opitz both walked to put the tying and winning runs on board for South Bend. Rodríguez would get the final out on a grounder to Areinamo and the Rattlers celebrated their fifth win in a row before getting ready for game two of the doubleheader.
