Beavers Use Five-Run Sixth To Sting Bees In Opener

Published on July 17, 2009 under Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Portland Beavers News Release


PORTLAND, Ore. - Drew Macias' two-run double sparked a five-run, sixth-inning rally that propelled the Portland Beavers past the Salt Lake Bees 8-4 in front of 7,076 fans at PGE Park Thursday night.

Yamid Haad collected three hits, including a ground-rule double, and Craig Stansberry and Russ Adams both tallied a pair of hits for the Beavers (43-49), who snapped a four-game losing streak with the win.

Brad Coon had two hits and Terry Evans had a double and an RBI for Salt Lake (47-45).

Brian Lawrence (4-1) scattered seven hits and two walks over six innings, allowing four runs (3 earned).

Bees starter Mike MacDonald (5-10) limited the Beavers to three base runners over the first five frames but ran into trouble in the fifth and finished with five earned runs on five hits and two walks with five strikeouts over 5 1/3 innings.

Down 1-0 in the third, the Bees scored three runs without hitting the ball out of the infield. After opening the frame with three straight infield singles by Coby Smith, Nate Sutton and Coon, Salt Lake got an RBI forceout off the bat of Evans and benefited from Adams' throwing error on what would have been an inning-ending double play to grab two more.

Ryan Budde singled to lead off the fourth and moved to second on yet another infield single, this one by Gary Patchett. Budde would then score on a sac fly by Sutton.

The Beavers sent 11 men to the plate while rallying for five runs in the sixth to regain the lead. Stansberry and Adams hit one-out singles and Val Pascucci drew a walk to load the bases. That set up Macias' ground-rule double to left-center, which chased the starter MacDonald. After Daniel Davidson came in and struck out pinch-hitter Chad Huffman, Portland continued its rally with Haad's RBI single off reliever Francisco Rodriguez. Rodriguez then induced a pop-up from Danny Putnam, but the ball landed between the retreating third baseman Adam Pavkovich and incoming left fielder Sutton for an RBI double. Matt Antonelli then hit an RBI infield single to third to put the Beavers up two.

Portland tacked on two insurance runs in the eighth inning as the catcher Budde committed two errors on the same play to score Haad, who had doubled, and Mike Baxter hit an RBI single to right.

Joe Thatcher notched his first save of the season with 1 1/3 perfect innings.

NOTES: Stansberry was placed on the Beavers' active roster earlier in the day after being designated for assignment by the Padres earlier in the week ... four of the seven games between the Beavers and Bees this season have lasted over three hours ... Haad is now hitting .444 (8-for-18) in five games with the Beavers, hitting safely in all five ... Budde's three errors matched the Bees' team high for a game this season and broke the individual mark of two.

Beavers Game File

THURSDAY'S GAME: Beavers 8, Salt Lake 4

WINNING PITCHER: Lawrence (4-1)

LOSING PITCHER: MacDonald (5-10)

SAVE: Thatcher (1)

HOME RUNS: None

FRIDAY'S GAME: Salt Lake (Brad Salmon: 3-2, 4.69) at Portland (Wade LeBlanc: 2-6, 3.57), 7:05 p.m. (Pacific); live audio broadcast on KKAD AM-1550 and www.portlandbeavers.com. Follow the Beavers on Twitter: www.twitter.com/PortlandBeavers

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Pacific Coast League Stories from July 17, 2009


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