Beavers lead early, but Salt Lake keeps cruising

Published on April 22, 2008 under Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Portland Beavers News Release


PORTLAND, Ore. - Brandon Wood clubbed a tie-breaking grand slam in the sixth inning and the Salt Lake Bees just keep on winning, this time defeating the Portland Beavers 9-4 Monday night at PGE Park for their ninth straight win.

The Bees (17-1) are a perfect 11-0 on the road and have beaten the Beavers six straight times as they keep padding their sizable cushion in the North Division.

Wood added two doubles and Freddy Sandoval was 4-for-5 with a double and two RBIs for the Bees. Shane Loux (4-0) allowed a pair of first-inning runs but settled in for his fourth victory, yielding three runs and six hits in six innings.

Chase Headley drove in two runs and Jody Gerut hit his first home run of the year to lead Portland (7-10).

Portland starter Shawn Estes was strong through the first five innings - allowing just one unearned run - but the Bees reeled off four straight singles against him to start the sixth, tying the game on an RBI hit up the middle by Terry Evans and completely turning the game upside down with Wood's grand slam, his seventh homer of the season.

Estes (2-2) was lifted after the first six batters in the inning reached; he gave up six runs (5 earned) and seven hits in the loss.

All this after the Beavers, who have lost six straight home games, took a quick 2-0 lead. Matt Antonelli led off the game with a double down the left field line and scored when the next batter, Oscar Robles, doubled over the head of Evans in right field. Later with two outs, Headley's single up the middle plated Robles for a 2-0 lead.

Salt Lake got on the board in the fourth. Sandoval led off with a single, moved to second on a groundout, then stole third and came in to score when Estes sailed a throw wide of third baseman Craig Stansberry in an attempt to catch Sandoval.

The Beavers gained a run back in the bottom of the sixth, but Salt Lake went back to work in the eighth with Sandoval capping a three-run rally with a two-out, two-run single, his fourth hit of the night.

The Beavers conclude their brief homestand Tuesday night at 7:05 p.m.

NOTES: The Beavers get their first scheduled off-day of the season on Wednesday before starting a four-game series at Las Vegas on Thursday ... the game was played under a steady drizzle and temperatures that dropped into the 30s. Early showers delayed the start of the game by a half hour ... Antonelli has reached base in each of his 14 games ... Luis Rodriguez' hitting streak ended at 12 games.

Beavers Game File MONDAY'S GAME: Salt Lake 9, Beavers 4 WINNING PITCHER: Loux (4-0) LOSING PITCHER: Estes (2-2) SAVE: None HOME RUNS: Wood (7), Gerut (1) TUESDAY'S GAME: Salt Lake (Kasey Olenberger: 1-1, 3.32) at Portland (Cesar Ramos: 2-1, 4.50), 7:05 p.m.; live broadcast on KKAD AM-1550 and www.portlandbeavers.com. TUESDAY'S PROMOTION: The first 1,000 fans at PGE Park receive a reusable grocery bag as the Beavers celebrate Go Green Week presented by Esurance.

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Pacific Coast League Stories from April 22, 2008


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