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Alvarez, Sounds Don't Cooperate

August 14, 2003 - Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Portland Beavers News Release


PORTLAND, Ore. - With a chance to make a statement in their divisional race, the Portland Beavers ran into Tony Alvarez and company Wednesday night.

Alvarez went 4-for-4 with three runs scored and a home run as the Nashville Sounds built an early lead and racked up 17 hits in a 13-9 win over the Beavers in front of 6,108 at PGE Park.

And when the paper come out in the morning, the makeup of the Pacific Coast League North will look a little different. Edmonton dropped out of first place in the North by losing to Tacoma Wednesday night. Salt Lake earned an extra-inning victory at Iowa and is now a half game ahead of the Trappers and a game-and-a-half ahead of the Beavers (60-65).

Alvarez hit a two-run home run to anchor a six-run third inning for the Sounds (71-53), who took a commanding 9-2 lead in the frame. Nashville sent 11 batters to the plate in the inning and logged six straight hits off starter Brian Tollberg, who left with two outs in the inning. Tollberg, who lost for the third time, was charged with eight earned runs on 11 hits in just 2.2 innings of work to inflate his season ERA from 4.58 to 5.38.

Duaner Sanchez got the win in relief for the Sounds.

Rob Mackowiak, who scored three times, hit a two-run home run in the first inning and added an RBI double in the third. Mike Gulan had three hits, an RBI and two runs scored. The combination of Mackowiak, Gulan and Alvarez-the Sounds' 4, 5 and 6 hitters-went 9-for-15 with seven RBIs and eight runs scored in the game.

Bernie Castro had four hits and reached base in each of his five at-bats for the Beavers, who tallied 12 hits. Khalil Greene went 3-for-5 with a home run and five RBIs. Donaldo Mendez, who was 1-for-34 over his previous 12 games, hit his fourth home run of the year and went 3-for-5 with a pair of runs scored.

Despite falling behind early, Portland kept trying to hang around. In his first at-bat of the season, pitcher Courtney Duncan sparked a two-out rally in the bottom of the fourth to help the Beavers cut their deficit to 10-6. Duncan had an RBI single, Castro had an RBI double and Greene added a two-run single.

The Sounds added two more in the sixth and a single run in the eight to hold off any further rally attempts by the Beavers.

Mackowiak belted a two-run homer and Alvarez added an RBI single in the first as the Sounds went up 3-0.

Portland countered in the second, using solo home runs by Xavier Nady and Mendez to cut the deficit to one.

Greene brought the Beavers to within four for a second time with a two-run home run in the bottom of the sixth, his eighth of the year with Portland.

NOTES: The Beavers announced two roster moves Wednesday, placing Ben Risinger on the Disabled List with a fractured left wrist and activating catcher Wiki Gonzalez from the DL ... Risinger, who will miss the rest of the season, suffered his injury during a collision at the plate in Tuesday's 2-1 win over the Sounds ... with his run-scoring single in his first at-bat of the season, Courtney Duncan, an eight-year veteran, upped his career hit total to four and his career RBI total to three ... before Thursday's game, the Beavers will try to set a new world record for the most Harley-Davidson's to throw out the first pitch at a pro game ... Kory De Haan pinch hit in the sixth inning, his first plate appearance since May 29 ... De Haan, who was activated from the Disabled List Tuesday, drew a walk to lead off the inning and stayed in the game to play center field, adding a single later ... the Beavers have not won consecutive home games since June 22-23 ... Portland manager Rick Sweet was ejected late in the game following an argument with home plate umpire Casey Moser.



Pacific Coast League Stories from August 14, 2003


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