A rehab start by Dave Bush;

Gave the Timber Rattlers a little push

The bats - in game one against South Bend - went silent;

But over the next two games, they would definitely repent

But, over here in Great Lakes, they went quiet again;

Plus, allowing 20 runs in two games has been as bad as Pushing Tin.

Obscure movie references?  Oh, yeah, we've got them all.

Time for This Week in Timber Rattlers Baseball.

7/10 @Wisconsin 5, West Michigan 2:This night was one of the reasons the affiliation with the Brewers made so much sense.  So, Dave Bush is working his way back into the rotation for the big league club.  The Timber Rattlers are home and he can just drive up for his first live action in awhile.  Dave Bush gets the start for the Rattlers and over 5,100 people show up to watch him pitch for 4-2/3 innings.  The news broke on the Brewers website on Wednesday night and internet orders started rolling in from that point.  The phone started ringing in the ticket office on Thursday morning and didn't stop until after the game started on Friday.  Media requests were rolling in, too.  So, were ticket requests from a few of my clients.  I'll let you in on a little secret.  Attendance in early July is usually down.  People go on their trips around July 4 and they are too worn out to come to the ballpark the week after that.  Not the case this year.  The weather and the crowds have been awesome.

The game?  Bush tossed 55 pitches, tossed up 64mph curves and 85 mph fastballs that had Whitecaps hitters standing there and taking it or swinging and missing.  But, an unearned run had the game tied at 1-1 when he left the game after 4-2/3 innings.  Brett Lawrie -- in his final appearance of the week before heading to the Futures Game -- homered in the fifth.  Three more runs were tacked on after four Whitecap errors...some of them were completely horrific.  Like the shortstop who kicked a Lawrie grounder into the bullpen.  He went over and picked it up.  Then, just dropped it in the bullpen and jogged back to his defensive position.  Problem!  That's a live ball.  Lawrie just kept running and didn't stop until he crossed home plate.

 But, the Whitecaps -- down 5-2 -- loaded the bases with no outs in the top of the eighth inning.  Brandon Ritchie relieved, got a strikeout and a double play to keep the lead.  Then, he would set down the Whitecaps in the ninth including a strike out to end the game.

A note to Rattlers fans:  Everyone was cheering, but only about half the stadium was standing when Ritchie got to two strikes on the last hitter.  I saw a bunch of fans down the first base line standing and trying to get others to stand for that last strikeout.  It's okay to stand for that.  Trust me.  I was.

7/11 South Bend 3 @Wisconsin 1:  After a night like Friday, this game left everyone flatter than North Dakota.  Randy Rodriguez had lost seven straight starts for the Silver Hawks.  Evan Frederickson and Wily Peralta were the scheduled pitchers for the Rattlers.  But, Frederickson allowed three runs in the third inning -- an inning that he didn't make it out of -- and Randy Rodriguez shut the Rattlers down until the ninth inning.  He was pitching like...

Except over the entire game and without the 95+ fastball.  Wisconsin loaded the bases in the ninth with one out, but TJ Hose...yes, the closer for the Silver Hawks has the last name of Hose...hit BROCK to force in a run, but he got the next two outs to end the game.

7/12 @Wisconsin 5, South Bend 1:  Dan Merklinger was outstanding...again.  He's made some really nice starts.  He's back at the A level for the second year in a row and I've talked to him about if that's a little frustrating.  He's got the right attitude.  Repeating this level is something that he has to do because of the pitching backup at the lower levels.  If he pitches well here, he will be able to make a nice jump up the system next year.  Corey Kemp homered as he absolutely crushed a two-out, three-run homer in the third inning to give the Rattlers all the runs they would need.  Daniel Meadows pitched three scoreless innings for the save and overall it was a nice Sunday at the park.

I was trying to keep an eye on the Futures Game during the Rattlers game.  But, that game went into a four hour rain delay after the top of the first.  When the game finally resumed, it had been shortened to seven innings.  Lawrie had a big hit in that seventh inning to start a comeback for the World team.

7/13 @Wisconsin 5, South Bend 2: South Bend got one in the first.  Rattlers got one in the first.  Juan Sanchez drove in the go ahead run with a single in the fifth.  In the sixth, the Silver Hawks got BROCKED!

Brock Kjeldgaard hit his 14th homer of the season for a 3-1 lead.  To put that in context, the 2008 Rattlers team leader in homers had 14 for the season.  There are still about seven weeks to go in the season.  Efrain Nieves, Ritchie, and Cody Scarpetta kept the Hawks off the board until the ninth, when the bases were loaded with one out -- what is it with bases loaded this week?  South Bend scored a run off Scarpetta on a sacrifice fly.  Then, it was time for Nick Tyson's Punchout.

Force out...Strike out...We're outta here.  Tyson is 5-for-5 in save opportunities and the Timber Rattlers were three games over .500 for the first time since they were 3-0.

7/14 -- OFF DAY...Kinda:  I say kinda because a true off day would not involve getting on a bus at 6pm, missing the All-Star Game, stopping at a Pilot Truck Stop somewhere in Indiana, and arriving at the visiting team hotel in Midland, Michigan at 3:45am.  By the way, I have a video camera on this trip.  We are trying to make a life on the road segment for Timber Rattlers Field pass on Sports 32.  You have been warned.

7/15 @Great Lakes 11, Wisconsin 1:  Well, they were up 1-0 in the first on Lorenzo Cain's RBI double.  But, Trey Watten went just three innings and allowed six runs.  The defense committed four errors in this game.  They did not commit an error in the three games against South Bend.  Not even close to an error in the three games against South Bend.  To rub a little salt in, the final six Rattler batters of the game went down on strikes against Ethan Martin.  You may want to remember that name as he moves through the Dodgers system...If he doesn't wind up in a trade for Roy Halladay.

7/16 @Great Lakes 9, Wisconsin 5:Second verse same as the...It was 1-1 game after a Jose Duran sac fly in the top of the second inning.  Next thing you know, it was 9-1.  Cody Adams went just two innings in this one.  Wisconsin got four runs in the eighth inning, but too little and too late.  What was that old quote Jerry Kramer pulls out about the Packers from the 60's.  "We didn't lose.  We just ran out of time."  That wasn't this game for the Rattlers.  One game left in Great Lakes.  Then, it's on to Lansing.

PLAYOFF POSSIBILITY (In case you were wondering):

Heading into tonight's game, the Rattlers are the only Western Division team eligible for a second half playoff spor above .500.  They have a two game lead on Quad Cities and a 2.5 game lead on Peoria.  There are 52 games left in the second half...As Freddy Prinze used to say on Chico and the Man

Lookin' gooooooooood!

The Week Ahead in Bullet Points

• Friday, July 17: @ Great Lakes
• Saturday, July 18 - Monday, July 20: @ Lansing
• Tuesday, July 21: Off Day...Kinda
• Wednesday, July 22: vs. Dayton @ 7:05pm
• Thursday, July 23: vs. Dayton @7:05pm

And now a little music from a million years ago when I was at WSUP

So long, everybody.