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Beavers Rally for Late-Inning Win

June 29, 2003 - Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Portland Beavers News Release


SALT LAKE CITY - Tagg Bozied hit a game-winning three-run double in the eighth inning Sunday afternoon as the Portland Beavers came from behind for a 6-4 victory over the Salt Lake Stingers.

The bases-loaded hit erased Salt Lake's 4-2 advantage and put the Beavers on top for the first time in the game. Bozied, who also had a sixth-inning double, has now hit safely in eight of his last nine games.

"You get the little guys get on base and you let the big guys drive them in," Portland manager Rick Sweet said. "That's exactly the way it's supposed to be done and that was the difference today."

Sunday's victory, Portland's second in a row, helped the Beavers earn a split with Salt Lake in the four-game series. Despite the victory, the Beavers have lost six-of-eight meetings with the Stingers the season.

Carlton Loewer started the game for Portland, but left the game after six innings down 4-2. Jaret Wright (2-1), who has not allowed a run in his past 11 innings, provided two frames of scoreless relief to earn the win. The right-hander retired the side in order twice, striking out two.

"He used his split-finger well today," Sweet said of Wright's performance. "He mowed them down for two innings. Salt Lake's a great-hitting ballclub, but they were swinging at some nasty pitches today."

Courtney Duncan notched his 18th save and his first since June 11 with a scoreless ninth inning.

Khalil Greene went 2-for-4, including an eighth-inning bunt single, for the Beavers (43-41).

Salt Lake starter Mickey Callaway, making a rehab appearance for the Stingers (39-44), kept the Beavers off the scoreboard in his four-inning stint. But after he left the game, reliever Chris Bootcheck came in and allowed all six of Portland's runs. Bootcheck (3-7) lasted four innings, giving up eight hits.

For the fourth time in the series Salt Lake scored first, this time taking a 1-0 third-inning lead. Portland came back, however, to tie it on Yamid Haad's sacrifice fly in the fifth.

In the bottom of the frame, the Stingers returned with three more runs to take a 4-1 advantage. Alfredo Amezaga started the rally with an RBI single to center field. The next batter, Adam Riggs, laced a double down the left-field line, scoring two more runs.

The Beavers cut the Salt Lake lead to 4-2 in the sixth with a run-scoring ground out by Mario Valdez.

In the eighth, Portland scored four times, with three of the runs coming on Bozied's double. Two batters later, Alex Pelaez gave the Beavers an insurance run with a sacrifice fly, his team-leading 49th RBI of the season.

For Salt Lake, Alfredo Amezaga had two hits, giving him nine in his last four games.

NOTES: Both Alex Fernandez and Bernie Castro extended their hitting streaks to eight games ... in those games, Fernandez is 16-for-32 and Castro is 16-for-33 ... Bozied now has 15 multi-hit games in the month of June ... he has also hit six doubles in the past seven games.



Pacific Coast League Stories from June 29, 2003


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