Cats Pitching Too Tough for Trappers
August 8, 2003 - Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Edmonton Trappers News Release
Second baseman Esteban German was 3-for-5 with a run scored, a triple and two RBI as the Sacramento River Cats downed the Edmonton Trappers 6-1 Thursday night at Raley Field in Sacramento. The River Cats, who own the best record in the PCL at 74-45, have won four of the five games played between the two clubs at Raley Field this campaign and now lead the season series eight games to five. Should the two clubs both make the playoffs they will meet in the Pacific Conference Final, which would begin on September 3 at TELUS Field. Four River Cats' pitchers combined to keep the Trappers off the board through the first eight innings on Thursday night, containing an offense that had produced 51 runs in nine games on the road since the All-Star break. Edmonton had won seven of its last nine road games before dropping Thursday night's series opener. The Trappers lead the North Division by three games over the Portland Beavers with 25 games remaining on the schedule. Edmonton and Sacramento continue this four-game series on Friday night at Raley Field.
The Trappers failed to take advantage of an early opportunity to open the scoring against Sacramento starter Ed Yarnall, a failure that would come back to haunt them in the end. Peter Bergeron extending his hitting streak to seven games by leading off the game with a double down the left field line. Luis Figueroa moved the speedy center fielder over to second with a sacrifice bunt. Terrmel Sledge and Valentino Pascucci drew walks to load the bases with two out, but Matt Cepicky was unable to cash in either runner, leaving the bases loaded. Scott Hodges led off the second inning with a single, but was caught stealing and Luis Figueroa had a base hit in the third inning after which the Trappers managed just two more hits. Yarnall went 4.0 scoreless innings before turning the ball over to Chris Enochs (5-1), who tossed 2.0 scoreless frames for the win. Ron Flores and Justin Lehr shutout the Trappers in the seventh and eighth innings. It wasn 't until Sledge homered, his team-leading 16th longball of the season, off Jeremy Fikac to leadoff the ninth inning that Edmonton managed to get on the board.
Edmonton starter Ron Chiavacci (4-3) bent, but did not break in the first 5.0 innings. The River Cats left seven runners stranded in the early frames, but finally got to the right-hander for three runs in the sixth inning. With one out third baseman Luis Lopez hit his 13th home run to break the scoreless tie. Michael Lockwood drew a walk and Jose Flores was hit by a pitch with two out to put runners at first and second for German, who singled to left field, scoring Lockwood. Vic Darensbourg replaced Chiavacci, but the first batter he faced, Chris Prieto, singled to drive in Flores with the River Cats third run of the inning. Richie Lewis made his first appearance for Edmonton on Thursday night and yielded two runs the eighth inning. German plated Flores with a one-out triple, spelling the end for Lewis, who was replaced by Anthony Ferrari. Prieto greeted the lefty with a run-scoring single and later plated the River Cats final run when Graham Koonce grounded into a double play.
Highlights:
Trappers: Are 27-29 on the road...are 5-19 when the opponent scores the first run on the road...have won seven of the last 10 road games, but are just 1-4 at Raley Field this season...lead the North Division by three games over the Portland Beavers and 3 ½ games over the Salt Lake Stingers...are 29-31 vs. the South Division...this is the last series of the season against a South Division foe...Sacramento leads the season series, 8-5...Sacramento leads the all-time series, 23-22.
3B Scott Hodges: Was 1-for-3, extending his hitting streak to seven games...is batting .481 (13-for-27) in that span...is hitting .366 (30-for-82) with four home runs and 17 RBI in 22 games since the All-Star break...has eight extra-base hits (4 2B, 4 HR) in that span.
Alumni Report:
RF Tim Salmon (ANA) @ BOS: Had three hits, including his 23rd double of the season, in a losing cause as the Red Sox downed the Angels 9-3 at Fenway Park...scored two runs...hit his 15th home run, a solo blast off right-hander John Burkett, in the sixth inning.
Pacific Coast League Stories from August 8, 2003
- August 12: The finals of the Nolan Ryan Borden Kid Builder Ice Cream Million Dollar Pitch Contest - Round Rock Express
- Hernandez Reassigned to Round Rock - New Orleans Baby Cakes
- Bellhorn and Sweeney Smash Sounds - Colorado Springs Sky Sox
- Isotopes Rally Beats Zephyrs, 8-5 - New Orleans Baby Cakes
- Cats Pitching Too Tough for Trappers - Edmonton Trappers
- Sounds Outslugged By Sky Sox, 12-7 - Nashville Sounds
- Beavers Score Four in Tenth to Beat Salt Lake - Portland Beavers
- Topes Use Fifth Straight Comeback to Keep it Rollin; - Albuquerque Isotopes
- Late rally not quite enough for Express - Round Rock Express
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