Olsen tosses gem as Isotopes down Trappers, 4-1
May 18, 2004 - Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Edmonton Trappers News Release
Right-hander Kevin Olsen (2-3) came within one out of recording only the third complete game shutout of his career as the Albuquerque Isotopes downed the Edmonton Trappers 4-1 Monday night at TELUS Field. Olsen, who last tossed a complete game shutout in 2002 while pitching for the Calgary Cannons, allowed one run on six hits and one walk, while fanning seven in 8.2 stellar innings to earn his second victory of the season. He had struggled in his last two starts, allowing 11 runs in 11.2 innings over that span, but he was a different pitcher on Monday night. He did not walk a batter until the ninth inning and yielded just one extra-base hit. Edmonton is 5-2 on this homestand and is 9-5 overall at TELUS Field this season. The club remains in second place in the North Division of the PCL, three games behind the first-place Tacoma Rainiers. The Trappers and Isotopes conclude this four-game series on Tuesday night at TELUS Field. Edmonton will be off on Wednesday and then will begin an eight-game road trip on Thursday night in New Orleans against the Zephyrs.
Albuquerque opened the scoring in the top of the first inning off Trapper starter Josh Karp (2-4). With one out center fielder Derek Wathan doubled off the wall in right field. First baseman Larry Sutton and third baseman Jason Wood drew walks to load the bases for left fielder Brian Banks, who scored Wathan from third with a sacrifice fly. The Isotopes added two more runs in the third inning off Karp. Wathan drew a walk to open the frame and moved to third on a single to right field by Sutton. Banks singled with one out, scoring Wathan and advancing Sutton to second. Kevin Hooper plated Sutton with a two-out base hit to left-center field, giving the Isotopes a three-run advantage. Karp settled down after the third inning, allowing only one more hit over the next three innings. He retired the final seven batters that he faced, three via the strikeout. Overall Karp yielded three runs on five hits and four walks, while fanning seven in 6.0 innings of work. Matt Padgett tacked on an insurance run in the eighth inning with a solo home run off reliever Anthony Ferrari. It was the first home run that Ferrari, a lefty, has surrendered to a left-handed batter in three-plus seasons.
Olsen ran into some minor trouble in the first two innings as the Trappers picked up three hits off the righty, but he bore down and got out of jams in both innings. Shortstop Maicer Izturis singled to leadoff the game for Edmonton, but he was tossed out attempting to steal second and third baseman Brian Harris reached on a base hit with two down, but Olsen stranded him at first. He hit Julius Matos with a pitch with one out in the second and then yielded a single to catcher Paul Hoover, but escaped that inning by getting center fielder Brandon Watson to ground into a double play. Starting with the double play ball Olsen retired 15 consecutive batters, a streak that ended when Ryan Church singled with two out in the seventh. Izturis led off the ninth inning with a base hit down the left field line, but was erased when Anthony Medrano grounded into a double play. Harris then drew a walk and Jorge Toca doubled to the gap in left-center, scoring him for the Trappers only run of the game. Left-hander Frankie Gracesqui came on to strikeout Church to end the game and preserve the victory for Olsen. It was the first save of the season for Gracesqui.
Highlights:
Trappers: Have a 20-18 record.are 15-7 at home, including a 9-5 record at TELUS Field.are 11-0 in home games decided by two runs or less and 4-7 at home in games decided by three runs or more.have not been shutout at home this season.no Trapper position player has a home run on this homestand (seven games).the only homer hit by an Edmonton batter on the homestand is by pitcher Christian Parker.Edmonton leads the season series, two-games-to-one.Edmonton leads the all-time series 5-2 (.714).
SS Maicer Izturis: Was 2-for-4 in his first game back in the line-up after missing four games while attending the birth of his daughter.is 12-for-27 (.444) with seven runs scored, two doubles, one RBI, four walks and a stolen base in seven games as the leadoff batter, May 7-17.
Pacific Coast League Stories from May 18, 2004
- Beavers regroup for 12-8 win in 10 innings - Portland Beavers
- Sounds Drop Homestand Finale, 12-8 In 10 Innings - Nashville Sounds
- Beavers, Principal Financial Group team up to present "Family Fun Fest" Saturday, May 22 - Portland Beavers
- Fresno edges Omaha to gain series split - Omaha Storm Chasers
- Jeremy Ware transferred to double-A Harrisburg - Edmonton Trappers
- Isotopes return home for eight-game homestand - Albuquerque Isotopes
- Adam Riggs called up by Angels - Salt Lake Bees
- Greinke garners first triple-A win over Grizzlies - Omaha Storm Chasers
- Sidewinders Shutout New Orleans in Efficient Fashion - Tucson Sidewinders
- Olsen tosses gem as Isotopes down Trappers, 4-1 - Edmonton Trappers
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