Portland wins going away, improves to 5-5 on lengthy road trip

Published on June 14, 2008 under Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Portland Beavers News Release


FRESNO, Calif. - Will Venable extended his hitting streak to 10 games and drew a bases-loaded walk that plated the go-ahead run as the Portland Beavers rallied for five runs in the seventh and came back for the second night in a row, beating the Fresno Grizzlies 10-4 Saturday night at Chukchansi Park.

Chip Ambres, who scored three runs, belted a two-run homer that brought the Beavers (34-33) to within 4-3 in the sixth, and Portland rallied to take an 8-4 lead against a pair of relievers in the seventh to draw even at 5-5 on their current 12-game road trip.

Venable, Shawn Wooten and Vincent Sinisi drove in two runs apiece for the Beavers, who have won five of their last eight games.

Portland starter Justin Germano (1-2) worked six innings, sticking around long enough to get his first win since joining the club two weeks ago. He allowed four runs, though only two were earned, and nine hits while striking out five and issuing no walks in his third start this season for Portland.

Brett Harper hit a two-run home run and the Grizzlies scored two unearned runs on their way to a 4-1 lead by the end of the fifth.

After Ambres brought the Beavers closer, the Beavers went back to work in the seventh. Matt Antonelli singled, Luis Rodriguez walked and both moved into scoring position on Brett Dowdy's sac bunt. Antonelli scored on an RBI groundout by Peter Ciofrone, Rodriguez scored on Venable's walk, and Sinisi, who committed a two-out error in the fifth that cost the Beavers two runs, drove in a pair with a single to right and Wooten chipped in with his second RBI single of the night for a four-run Portland lead.

Venable, who has hit safely in each of the 10 games on the road trip, finished with two runs scored and two hits, including a run-scoring single as the Beavers tacked on two insurance runs in the eighth to win going away after seven answered runs.

Steve Palazzolo (0-1) could only retire two of the seven batters he faced in relief of starter Nick Pereira in the seventh, and was charged with five runs on four walks and a hit to suffer the loss for the Grizzlies (32-36), who have dropped six of nine.

Five Beavers tallied two hits in the game, including Antonelli, Sinisi, Wooten and Ciofrone.

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Pacific Coast League Stories from June 14, 2008


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