Song Has Cats Singing Different Tunes

June 16, 2003 - Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Edmonton Trappers News Release


Right-hander Seung Song (1-0) allowed only one run on two hits in 6.0 innings as the Edmonton Trappers downed the Sacramento River Cats 6-1 Monday night at TELUS Field. The Trappers managed to earn a split of the four-game series with the win, which came against the club with the best record in the Pacific Coast League. Sacramento leads the South Division of the Pacific Coast League and began the night as the highest scoring club in the circuit. The River Cats lead all of minor league baseball with 80 home runs, but they could only manage three singles against Song and reliever Hansel Izquierdo on Monday night. It was the Triple-A debut for the South Korean-born Song, who tossed a no-hitter for Double-A Harrisburg earlier this season and entered the season as one of the top prospects in the Montreal Expos farm system. The Trappers are now 18-13 at TELUS Field. Edmonton began the night only 3 ½ games behind the first-place Portland Beavers in the North Division. The Trappers begin a four-game series against the Las Vegas 51s, the club with the second best record in the PCL, on Tuesday night at TELUS Field.

For the fifth consecutive game the Trappers opponent scored a run in the first inning. With one out shortstop Bobby Crosby drew a walk and then stole second base. Jason Grabowski lined out after a lengthy at-bat against Song, but the next batter, Dave McCarty, blooped a single into right-center to plate Crosby with the first run. Sacramento starter Ed Yarnall (1-2) retired the first five batters that he faced, but with two down in the second left fielder Matt Cepicky took the lefty deep for his fourth home run of the season, tying the game at one. With two out in the bottom of the third inning second baseman Luis Figueroa singled to left. Shortstop Anthony Medrano then doubled down the left field line, plating Figueroa from first. Terrmel Sledge tripled to right center, scoring Medrano for the second run of the inning. Yarnall then uncorked a wild pitch, allowing Sledge to score.

Yarnall retired nine batters in a row after allowing a leadoff single to Luis Ortiz in the fourth inning, but then hit Cepicky with a pitch to open the seventh. Valentino Pascucci followed with a towering blast to left field that put the Trappers up by five runs and ended Ed Yarnall's night. He allowed only six hits in 6.0 innings of work, but yielded six runs to the Trappers. Song was almost unhittable after the first inning. He yielded a two-out single to Chris Prieto in the second inning that put runners on the corners, but then struck out Esteban German to get out the jam. The Trappers turned two spectacular double plays behind Song in the third and the fourth innings. The second one was especially amazing as Figueroa flipped the ball behind his back to Medrano who recorded the out and second base and then made the throw to get Mike Edwards at first. Song retired eight of the final nine batters that he faced. He walked five and struck out three. Izquierdo tossed 3.0 shutout innings for the save, allowing only two walks and one hit. He fanned two en route to recording his second save of the season.

Highlights:

Trappers: Are 18-13 at home...are 2-2 on an eight-game homestand that will see the top two clubs in the PCL visit TELUS Field...are 14-22 against clubs with winning records...are 10-24 when the opposition scores the first run, including a 7-10 mark at TELUS Field... Sacramento leads the season series, 7-5...the All-Time series between the two clubs is tied, 22-22.

CF Terrmel Sledge: Tripled off Ed Yarnall in the Trappers three-run third...leads the club with six triples...began the night ranked fifth in the league in average, second in on-base percentage and second in slugging...has hit safely in 24 of his last 25 games, going 39-for-95 (.411-5-19) in that span.

Alumni Report:

CF Lew Ford (MIN) @ KC: Pinch-hit for Torii Hunter in the seventh inning and doubled...hit a three-run home run in the eighth inning off Sean Lowe...the Twins rallied from an 8-0 deficit to tie the game in the top of the ninth, but the Royals still won, 9-8.



Pacific Coast League Stories from June 16, 2003


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