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Kazmar Drives In Four As Surging Beavers Win Fourth Straight

August 25, 2009 - Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Portland Beavers News Release


WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. - Sean Kazmar went 2-for-3 with four RBIs and Eliezer Alfonzo belted a two-run homer as the Portland Beavers beat the Sacramento River Cats for the third straight night with a 7-4 victory at Raley Field on Monday.

Chad Huffman went 3-for-5 and Drew Macias scored three times for the Beavers (57-73), who have won four straight and seven-of-eight after losing eight in a row. The Beavers also won the final two games of a four-game set against the River Cats at PGE Park earlier this month.

Kazmar started the scoring with a two-out, two-run single in the second, added an RBI double in the fifth and drew a bases-loaded walk in the eighth to give Portland an insurance run.

Aaron Cunningham hit a two-run homer and Matt Carson and Jeff Baisley each had two hits for the River Cats (80-49), who, after winning seven in a row, are on the brink of being swept for the first time since June 3-6, 2006.

Walter Silva (7-5) earned his third win since being joining the Beavers bullpen at the beginning of August.

Clayton Mortensen dropped to 8-8 on the season (1-2 with Sacramento), allowing six runs on eight hits and three walks over 4 1/3 innings.

Both teams scored twice in the second. With two outs and the bases loaded, Kazmar singled home Macias and Valentino Pascucci before Danny Putnam was thrown out at third to end the inning. The River Cats loaded the bases with none out and tied the game with RBI force-outs by Travis Buck and Adrian Cardenas.

The Beavers took the lead with another pair of runs in the fourth. A two-out single by Putnam scored Macias and Kazmar's RBI double drove in Putnam.

Alfonzo supplied Portland with insurance runs on his deep, two-run homer in the fifth, but Cunningham responded for Sacramento with a two-run shot of his own to keep it a two-run game.

The Beavers loaded the bases with none out in the eighth inning but added only one insurance run after pinch-hitter Brett Dowdy struck out, Kazmar drew a walk for his fourth RBI of the game and River Cats reliever Jerry Blevins induced a pair of force-outs to escape further damage.

Jon Ellis gave up a pair of hits in the ninth but recorded his first save of the season.

Beavers starter Aaron Poreda again had issues with his control, walking six batters in 4 1/3 innings. Poreda also gave up four hits and four runs and struck out two.

The Beavers will go for their first-ever road sweep of Sacramento on Tuesday night at 7:05 p.m. (Pacific).

NOTES: The Pacific Coast League Monday named Beavers left-hander Wade LeBlanc its Pitcher of the Week for Aug. 17-23; LeBlanc was 2-0 with a 0.69 ERA during the stretch ... infielder Edgar Gonzalez was transferred to Portland on a major league rehab assignment earlier in the day ... former Beaver Scott Patterson pitched a scoreless seventh inning for Sacramento; Patterson was traded to the River Cats last Wednesday ... Huffman is batting .571 (8-for-14) with three doubles, a homer, two RBIs and four runs scored during the series ... Huffman also robbed Chris Denorfia of extra bases with a leaping catch in the ninth ... the Beavers are guaranteed to win their first road series since taking three-of-four in Las Vegas, June 2-5 ... Ellis became the ninth Beavers pitcher to record a save this season ... the Beavers join Colorado Springs as the only PCL clubs to defeat Sacramento eight times this season ... only one of eight home teams in the PCL won Monday night ... Portland's last road sweep came earlier this season at New Orleans, May 16-19 ... Alfonzo's homer extended his hitting streak to nine games.

Beavers Game File

MONDAY'S GAME: Beavers 7, Sacramento 4

WINNING PITCHER: Silva (7-5)

LOSING PITCHER: Mortensen (8-8)

SAVE: Ellis (1)

HOME RUNS: Alfonzo (13), Cunningham (11)

TUESDAY'S GAME: Portland (Josh Geer: 2-3, 3.86) at Sacramento (Shawn Chacon: 7-4, 5.60), 7:05 p.m. (Pacific); live audio broadcast on KKAD AM-1550 and www.portlandbeavers.com. Follow the Beavers on Twitter: www.twitter.com/PortlandBeavers



Pacific Coast League Stories from August 25, 2009


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