Germano lays two-hit, complete game shutout on Las Vegas

Published on July 16, 2004 under Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Portland Beavers News Release


PORTLAND, Ore. - Justin Germano tossed the first nine-inning, complete-game shutout of his career and the first in the Beavers' four seasons, limiting the Las Vegas 51s to just two hits and facing just two batters over the minimum in a 6-0 victory in front of 7,657 Thursday night at PGE Park.

Germano (2-4) threw just 80 pitches in the game, 63 of those for strikes. He struck out seven and did not allow a walk for his first win with the Beavers since May 16.

"(It was) real satisfying and real exciting," said Germano. "I've been a mental case out there thinking too much, which led to pitching bad games. With the all-star break, having those few days to go home and relax and not think about baseball helped clear my mind and just go out there and throw. That's how I've thrown in the past, starting off the season, but was just thinking too much the last few."

The shutout effort lowered Germano's ERA from 5.66 to 4.76.

Joe Thurston managed a one-out single in the top of the third and led off the ninth with the only other hit Germano gave up on the night.

It was Germano's first complete game of the season (sixth of his career) and the first shutout of his five-year career.

Kerry Robinson and Yamid Haad each had a pair of hits and an RBI for the Beavers (46-46), who have won seven of their last nine games. Freddy Guzman reached base three times, scored a pair of runs and stole his 28th base with the club.

The win brought the Beavers to .500 for the first time since May 10, when they were 16-16, and trimmed Tacoma's lead over them in the PCL North Division to four games.

Germano's performance comes on the heels of Portland's dominating pitching performance in its last game, Sunday at Sacramento. In that game, starter Brian Sweeney took a perfect game into the seventh inning, while he and reliever Steve Watkins held the River Cats to just three hits in an 8-1 win.

"Well, we are tough and good, and when we have all our stuff working for us, we're going to be tough pitchers to hit," Germano said of the pitching staff's recent success. "Sweeney's got his control and the change-up and everything; when he's on, there is no chance. All our starters are quality starters."

Portland leads the PCL with a 4.04 team ERA.

The Beavers went up 1-0 in the third inning Thursday night when Tagg Bozied drove in Robinson with an RBI single to left. Robinson beat out an infield single and stole his seventh base in six games since joining the Beavers.

Bozied scored the Beavers' second run in the sixth, drawing a leadoff walk and later scoring on a convoluted sequence of a wild pitch and error by the catcher Koyie Hill after Bozied got caught in a rundown between third and home. Ramon Vazquez scored to make it 3-0 in the inning on a sac fly by J.J. Furmaniak.

Haad stroked a two-out single to center field in the seventh, plating Guzman with the fourth run of the game. The Beavers tacked on two more in the eighth on back-to-back RBI doubles by Guzman and Robinson.

The series continues Friday night at 7:05 p.m.

NOTES: The Beavers had four previous complete games, but each of those came in seven-inning games ... Junior Herndon (2), Kevin Pickford and John Snyder are the others with complete games for Portland ... for his efforts, Germano received a double dose of pies to his face during a post-game interview for the Beavers television broadcast on Comcast Cable Channel 14 ... it was the sixth shutout victory of the season for Portland ... Beavers coaches Tommy Sandt and Tom Brown will be joined by Bobby Scales, Ben Risinger and Jon Knott in conducting the first of two Beavers baseball clinics at PGE Park beginning Friday morning at 9 a.m. The first camp is full, but a second camp is being offered Aug. 13-15 ... pitchers Mike Bynum and Chris Oxspring will visit with kids at a YMCA camp in Sherwood on Friday.

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Pacific Coast League Stories from July 16, 2004


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