Beavers use four homers, 12 walks to rout River Cats

Published on April 15, 2009 under Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Portland Beavers News Release


WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. - Drew Macias hit a home run and collected five RBIs and Chad Huffman was 3-for-6, including his second home run of the season, to back five sharp innings from starter Cesar Ramos as the Portland Beavers defeated the Sacramento River Cats 11-1 at Raley Field Wednesday afternoon.

Peter Ciofrone and Will Venable also homered as the Beavers (4-3) hit four home runs on the day while collecting 13 hits and drawing 12 walks to break a three-game losing streak. Macias, Venable and Kyle Blanks each collected two hits for the Beavers, who conclude their four-game series with the River Cats (3-4) on Thursday.

Ramos (1-0) gave up one earned run on four hits and struck out six in five innings to pick up his first win of the year. The left-hander allowed just two base runners over the first five innings.

The Beavers, who were out-hit 24-7 over the first two games of the series, built an 8-0 lead after 5 ½ innings. Ciofrone and Venable connected on back-to-back home runs off Sacramento starter Ryan Webb in the top of the third to start the offensive barrage; Huffman later added an RBI single in the inning.

Portland went back to work in the fifth. Macias hit a two-run double, Ciofrone tacked on another run with a sacrifice fly and an error later allowed Macias to score from third to give the Beavers a 7-0 lead.

Huffman's solo homer in the top of the sixth made it 8-0, and after the River Cats gained a run back in the bottom of the sixth, Macias' three-run shot to right in the eighth inning capped the scoring for the Beavers, who set season highs in runs and hits while tying a nine-year franchise record for walks.

Webb (1-1) lasted just three innings, giving up three runs on three hits and five walks and striking out four. Jared Lansford followed Webb, walking five more batters and giving up four runs (3 earned) and two hits in 1.2 innings of work.

The Beavers bullpen combination of Mike Ekstrom, Scott Patterson and Greg Burke retired 12 of the 13 River Cats it faced. Beavers relievers own a 0.65 ERA (2 earned runs in 27.2 innings) through seven games in 2009.

The Beavers and River Cats meet in the finale of the four-game series Thursday night at 7:05 p.m.

NOTES: The third-inning home runs by Ciofrone and Venable marked the second time this season that Portland has gone back-to-back, with Blanks and Emil Brown accomplishing the feat in the second inning of Saturday night's game at Fresno ... Venable's home run was his first of the year and his double gave him a team-leading five extra-base hits this season ... Venable's double came when River Cats shortstop Cliff Pennington lost an infield pop-up in the sun ... a night after Sacramento stranded 14 base runners, the Beavers left 14 men on base Wednesday ... Sacramento used two position players, right fielder Matt Carson and catcher Raul Padron, to pitch the eighth and ninth innings ... all but one starter for Portland drew a walk ... the Beavers left the bases loaded in the first and fourth innings ... the Beavers debuted their vintage alternate uniforms for Wednesday's game: dark blue jerseys and (brand-new this year) dark blue pants with white piping down the side.

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Pacific Coast League Stories from April 15, 2009


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