Oxspring, Beavers keep rolling

Published on June 12, 2005 under Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Portland Beavers News Release


PORTLAND, Ore. - Chris Oxspring struck out nine over eight-plus innings for his fourth consecutive win, and Ben Johnson and J.J. Furmaniak each had a home run and two RBIs as the Portland Beavers closed out their series against the Tucson Sidewinders with an 8-4 victory before 4,023 Sunday afternoon at PGE Park.

The Beavers (34-29) took three of the four games in their series with the Sidewinders, boosting them five games above .500 for the first time this season.

Oxspring (5-2) took an 8-2 lead into the ninth with the second complete game of his career in mind before Tucson (32-32) struck for a pair of runs to chase him after 8.1 innings on the hill. Of his four runs allowed, only one was earned, as a two-out error in the fifth led to a pair of unearned runs and another miscue in the ninth resulted in a third.

Over his last four starts, Oxspring is 4-0 with a 1.76 ERA and 27 strikeouts in 30.2 innings.

Starter Chris Michalak (2-7) took the loss, giving up four runs (2 earned) on five hits over six innings.

In the bottom of the first, Johnson extended his hitting streak to 10 games with a solo home run, his 13th of the season and his 11th in his last 24 games.

Michel Hernandez drew a leadoff walk in the bottom of the third. Hernandez moved to third when Furmaniak singled and scored when Josh Barfield reached on an infield hit.

The Sidewinders squared it in the top of the fifth, getting a two-out, two-RBI single from Andy Green after the inning was extended on an error by Furmaniak and Oxspring's walk to Michalak.

Portland wasted little time regaining the edge. In the bottom of the fifth, Furmaniak reached on third baseman Matt Kata's error for starters. Barfield followed with a walk. Johnson then drove in Furmaniak with a single to left, with Barfield scoring to make it 4-2 on a double play groundout.

Furmaniak's two-run shot to deep left, his 10th of the year, scored Oxspring in the seventh, and the Beavers tacked on another pair in the eighth when Jesse Garica doubled home Adam Hyzdu and scored on Hernandez' RBI single to center.

The Beavers begin a four-game series at Tacoma Monday night at 7:05 p.m. Right-hander Miguel Asencio makes his first start for Portland.

NOTES: Kids TV icon Jimmy Neutron and former Beavers mascot Round Tripper made appearances at Sunday's game ... the first three batters in the Portland batting order, Furmaniak, Barfield and Johnson, combined to go 6-for-13 with five RBIs and four runs scored ... Oxspring matched his longest start for the Beavers, who were 5-3 on their eight-game homestand.

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Pacific Coast League Stories from June 12, 2005


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