Sports stats



Beavers drop season finale, stage set for playoff showdown

September 6, 2004 - Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Portland Beavers News Release


PORTLAND, Ore. - With little on the line other than staying healthy and setting the pitching staff for the playoffs, the Portland Beavers dropped their final game of the regular season in front of 6,078 Monday afternoon at PGE Park, losing 8-5 to the Sacramento River Cats.

Freddie Bynum was 4-for-5 and Mike Rouse and Nelson Cruz hit home runs for the River Cats, who will host the first game of the upcoming playoff series between Sacramento and Portland Wednesday night at Raley Field.

The Beavers won the season series between the two clubs, taking nine of the 16 games played with Sacramento (79-65), but the overall series is tied at 24-24 in four seasons of play.

Portland wrapped up the regular season with the best record in Triple-A Baseball at 84-60, winning 10 of its last 12 games entering its best-of-five Pacific Conference Championship with the River Cats.

After two games in Sacramento, the series shifts to PGE Park on Friday, Sept. 10 for Game 3. Games 4 and 5 will also be played at PGE Park on Saturday and Sunday if necessary.

Sacramento plated a pair of unearned runs in the first as Bynum scored on a wild pitch after leading off the game with a single; Matt Watson's double scored Mike Edwards, who reached on a two-out error by Ben Risinger at shortstop.

The Beavers took a brief lead in the bottom of the first on an RBI double by Humberto Quintero, a sac fly by Jake Gautreau and a two-out double by Alex Fernandez, who sprained an ankle on the play. Fernandez is expected to be ready for the playoffs, according to manager Craig Colbert.

Sacramento responded in its half of the second, going up 4-3 on a two-run home run by Rouse. The River Cats added a run on Cruz' solo shot in the sixth and doused the Beavers' chances at a comeback with three runs in the eighth.

Both teams continued fine-tuning their pitching staffs, with 10 different pitchers taking the mound in the game. Portland's Tim Stauffer (6-3), who is scheduled to pitch Game 4 of the first-round playoffs if necessary, worked 3.0 innings for the Beavers, giving up two earned runs on five hits for the loss.

Mario Ramos (4-7), who spelled rehab starter Kirk Saarloos in the second, worked 4.0 scoreless innings for the River Cats. Huston Street, a highly touted rookie prospect who joined the River Cats on Sunday, worked the ninth for the save.

Jon Knott, who clubbed two home runs on Sunday, was 2-for-4 with three runs scored for the Beavers, who were out-hit 14-10.

Despite the loss, the Beavers finished up their best season in four years of play with the best ERA in the league at 3.78 as a team.

Earlier in the day, outfielder Xavier Nady and right-handed pitcher Justin Germano were recalled by the San Diego Padres while outfielder Freddy Guzman and right-handed pitcher Dennis Tankersley were optioned to Portland.

Tankersley ranks second among PCL pitchers with a 3.15 ERA and Guzman, who batted .292 in his first stint with the Beavers, returns to Triple-A still pacing the league in steals with 48.

Tankersley will start Game 2 of the playoff series. Both will join the team in Sacramento in time for Wednesday's game.

The Beavers will depart for Sacramento Tuesday afternoon. The winner of the Portland-Sacramento series advances to play either Iowa or Oklahoma in the best-of-five PCL Championship Series, which is slated to begin Tuesday, Sept. 14 at either Portland or Sacramento.

NOTES: Left-handed pitcher Gary Gallegos was transferred to Portland from Class A Eugene on Monday morning but did not see action ... after the game, both Gallegos and right-hander Ricky Steik were taken off the active roster to make room for Guzman and Tankersley on the postseason roster ... eighteen-year-old rookie Billy Killian, who started his second game with the Beavers on Monday, remained with the club for the postseason ... Bernie Castro played center field for a third straight day.

PLAYOFF TICKETS: Tickets for the Beavers home playoff game on Sept. 10 are currently on sale. The Beavers will host Game 3 that day, with the potential of hosting Games 4 and 5 over the weekend. Tickets are available for purchase at the PGE Park box office as well as Portland-area Ticketmaster outlets. Individual tickets may be purchased by phone at (503) 224-4400 or online at www.ticketmaster.com . Tickets for Games 4 and 5 will go on sale at 10 a.m. on the day after each game becomes necessary.

Game 1 - 2004 Pacific Conference Championship Series Wednesday, Sept. 8 - 6:35 p.m. Portland at Sacramento (Raley Field) POR Brian Sweeney (11-4, 3.83) vs. SAC John Rheinecker (11-9, 4.44)

Game 2 - 2004 Pacific Conference Championship Series Thursday, Sept. 9 - 6:35 p.m. Portland at Sacramento (Raley Field) POR Dennis Tankersley (7-4, 3.15) vs. SAC Joe Blanton (11-8, 4.19)

Game 3 - 2004 Pacific Conference Championship Series Friday, Sept. 10 - 7:05 p.m. Sacramento at Portland (PGE Park) SAC Britt Reames (3-5, 4.67) vs. POR Chris Oxspring (6-4, 3.99)

Game 4 - 2004 Pacific Conference Championship Series Saturday, Sept. 11 - 7:05 p.m. *if necessary Sacramento at Portland (PGE Park) SAC Adam Pettyjohn (6-7, 5.78) vs. POR Tim Stauffer (6-3, 3.54)

Game 5 - 2004 Pacific Conference Championship Series Sunday, Sept. 12 - 2:05 p.m. *if necessary Sacramento at Portland (PGE Park) Pitchers TBA



Pacific Coast League Stories from September 6, 2004


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