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Tankersley, Beavers all business in 5-3 victory over Stingers

May 4, 2004 - Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Portland Beavers News Release


PORTLAND, Ore. - Dennis Tankersley yielded just one earned run and struck out a season-high eight batters over 6.2 strong innings, and the Portland Beavers won their third straight home game with a 5-3 victory over the Salt Lake Stingers Tuesday afternoon at PGE Park.

Tankersley, now in his fourth season with the Beavers, is off to his best start with the club, improving his record to 2-2 with a 2.61 ERA with Tuesday's effort. The right-hander has posted a quality start (6.0 innings or more, 3 earned runs or fewer) in each of his six appearances and ranks among the league leaders in ERA, strikeouts (32) and innings pitched (38.0).

The Beavers (12-14) entered the game with the league's best ERA and lowered that mark to 3.65 with the victory.

The Stingers (14-12) grabbed a 1-0 lead in the fourth with an unearned run. Barry Wesson reached base on an error by shortstop J.J. Furmaniak to lead off the inning. Tankersley then struck out the next two batters, but Brian Gordon's single to right scored Wesson, who stole second to get into scoring position.

Gordon Derrick Gibson had three hits for the Stingers, who have lost three straight.

The Beavers responded in the bottom of the inning, tying the game on an RBI double by Yamid Haad and taking the lead on Rico Washington's ground out to second that scored Ben Petrick.

Portland extended its lead to 3-1 in the bottom of the fifth. Bernie Castro started things with a one-out single to center and stole his sixth base of the season. He advanced to third on Jeff Cirillo's infield single and scored on Jon Knott's single to left.

Salt Lake starter Steve Green (3-3) loaded the bases by hitting Petrick with a pitch, but Haad grounded into a fielder's choice to end the inning.

Castro and Knott had two hits apiece for the Beavers.

Gene Kingsale hit a solo home run in the sixth for a 4-1 lead, but the Stingers cut into that in the seventh when Gibson singled home Gordon, who doubled off Tankersley to lead off the inning.

Tankersley then allowed a walk to Gary Johnson and a double to Brian Specht before being lifted in favor of reliever Brandon Puffer, who got Jake Thrower to fly out to center to end the inning.

Petrick's RBI single in the bottom of the seventh scored Fernandez to give the Beavers a 5-2 lead.

Gordon led off the ninth with a solo home run off Bart Miadich, who shut down things after that for his sixth save and his second in as many nights.

The Beavers have now won seven of their last 11 games and evened their record at PGE Park to 5-5 with their third straight home victory.

The two teams resume their four-game series Wednesday night at 7:05 p.m. at PGE Park.

NOTES: The Beavers have allowed the fewest home runs in the Pacific Coast League this season with nine ... Fernandez had a five-game hit streak come to an end by going 0-for-3 with a walk ... Fernandez added two stolen bases for the Beavers, who had three in the game, a new season-high ... Haad, Portland's catcher, picked off Gibson at first base with a snap throw in the seventh ... Kingsale made a nice sliding play to get to Specht's two-out double in the seventh and prevent Johnson from scoring on the play ... Thrower, a former Beaver, committed two errors in the third inning ... Brandon Puffer worked 1.1 innings of scoreless relief and has not allowed an earned run in 18.1 innings over his last 11 appearances ... despite the win, the Beavers are hitting just .236 with six home runs at PGE Park, as opposed to .273 with 11 homers on the road ... Cirillo, with the Beavers on a major league rehab assignment, was 1-for-3 in the game and is 3-for-6 since beginning his stint with the club on Monday ... Tankersley, who led the PCL in strikeouts last season with 148, has struck out eight or more batters nine times in 45 career starts with the Beavers ... Portland improved to 3-10 when its opponents scores the game's first run ... the Beavers have had to overcome deficits in each of their last four wins.



Pacific Coast League Stories from May 4, 2004


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