IL holds off PCL rally before largest Triple-A All-Star Game crowd since 1991

Published on July 16, 2009 under Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Portland Beavers News Release


PORTLAND, Ore. - Indianapolis' Erik Kratz and Louisville's Drew Stubbs each hit two-run home runs and the International League All-Stars held off a ninth-inning rally to defeat the Pacific Coast League All-Stars 6-5 before a sellout crowd of 16,637 at Wednesday night's 2009 Cricket Wireless Triple-A All-Star Game at PGE Park.

Wednesday's crowd ranks third-highest in the 22-year history of the Triple-A All-Star Game. It was also the largest attendance since the 1991 Game in Louisville drew 20,725.

Kratz also doubled and walked to claim IL Top Star Award presented by Major League Baseball Advanced Media honors and Reid Brignac (Durham) added an RBI double and scored a run for the IL squad, which won for the third time in four years.

Esteban German (Oklahoma City) finished a triple short of the cycle and collected four RBIs to earn the PCL Top Star Award. Brendan Katin (Nashville) belted a third-inning home run to provide the other PCL run.

Lehigh Valley's Andrew Carpenter (1-0) fanned three batters in his lone inning of work to lead a group of 10 IL pitchers who combined for 14 strikeouts to break the previous All-Star Game record of 13, set by the National League Affiliates in 1988 and matched by the PCL in 2008.

Round Rock's Yorman Bazardo (0-1) gave up three hits, including Stubbs' homer, and three earned runs in 2/3 of an inning to take the loss. His teammate, Bud Norris, started the game for the PCL, giving up no hits and no walks in two scoreless innings.

The IL took an early three-run lead and controlled the game until German's two-run homer with two outs in the ninth cut the lead to one. But Pawtucket's Fernando Cabrera struck out Eric Young, Jr., the IL's record-breaking 14th victim of the night, to seal the win.

The IL broke through for three runs in the third inning, as Kratz and Brignac hit back-to-back doubles preceding Stubbs' two-run homer.

The PCL got one run back in the bottom half of the inning with Katin's solo homer to left.

In the fifth, Austin Jackson (Scranton/Wilkes-Barre) drove a triple to deep right-center and scored on pinch-hitter Justin Huber's (Rochester) sacrifice fly.

German drove in his first two runs with a single in the fifth that brought home Matt Miller (Colorado Springs) and Chris Robinson (Iowa), who led off the frame with singles and moved up a base on a wild pitch.

Kratz came through for the IL again in the sixth, belting a deep, two-run home run to the left field boardwalk to bring home Seth Bynum (Syracuse), who had singled.

Portland outfielder and Monday's All-Star Home Run Derby winner Chad Huffman brought the crowd to its feet with a double to lead off the ninth inning and two outs later scored on German's opposite-field blast to right.

NOTES: Hall-of-Fame outfielder Dave Winfield and Red Sox legend Johnny Pesky threw out ceremonial first pitches before the game ... Katin's home run was the first by a Nashville player in the Triple-A All-Star Game since Drew Denson went deep in 1993 ... last year, the road PCL squad won in Louisville by the same score, 6-5 ... nine of the IL's 10 pitchers recorded at least one strikeout ... the 2010 Triple-A All-Star Game will be held at Lehigh Valley's Coca-Cola Park.

All-Star Game File

RESULT: International League All-Stars 6, Pacific Coast League All-Stars 5

WINNING PITCHER: Carpenter (1-0)

LOSING PITCHER: Bazardo (0-1)

SAVE: Cabrera (1)

HOME RUNS: IL: Stubbs, Kratz. PCL: Katin, German

Share: Facebook | Twitter/X | LinkedIn | Reddit | Email



Pacific Coast League Stories from July 16, 2009


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central