Trappers are North Division Champions
August 30, 2003 - Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Edmonton Trappers News Release
Left fielder Matt Cepicky's single in the bottom of the ninth inning scored Luis Figueroa from second base giving the Edmonton Trappers a hard fought 2-1 victory over the Portland Beavers Friday night at TELUS Field. The win gives the Trappers their second consecutive North Division Championship. Edmonton has won six consecutive games, a season-high. Incredibly the Trappers have won four of those six contests in their last at-bat. The Beavers are now four games behind the Trappers with just three games left on the schedule. Edmonton will open the best-of-five Pacific Conference Final at TELUS Field on Wednesday night against the South Division champions, the Sacramento River Cats. Tickets for all playoff games at TELUS Field will go on sale on Saturday morning at 9:30 AM and can be purchased at the ballpark or through Ticketmaster. Edmonton will be making its seventh appearance in the playoffs in the club's 23-year history. The Trappers have won the PCL Championship on four occasions; in 1984, 1996, 1997 and 2002. Edmonton and Portland will continue this four-game series at TELUS Field on Saturday night.
Right-hander Britt Reames made his 20th start and 25th appearance of the season for the Trappers on Friday night. He owned a 5-13 record coming into the game, but had pitched well recently, winning twice in his last three starts. Reames did not allow more than three runs in any of those outings. He may have turned in his best performance of the season on Friday night. The righty retired the first seven batters that he faced before allowing a single to Donaldo Mendez in the third inning. Xavier Nady singled in the fourth inning, but the Beavers could not mount a rally. Reames went on to retire 10 batters in a row before allowing a leadoff single to Wiki Gonzalez in the eighth. Rico Washington followed with a base hit into right-center field that put runners on the corners for Mendez, who lofted a fly ball into right field. Valentino Pascucci made the catch and then gunned out Gonzalez, who was trying to score from third. It was the 15th outfield assist of the season for Pascucci. The next batter, pinch-hitter Yamid Haad, dropped a single in front of Pascucci that scored Washington from second base with the tying run. Reames exited after walking the next batter. He allowed one run on five hits and one walk, while striking out five in 7.2 innings of work.
Edmonton had opened the scoring in the bottom of the third inning with a single run off Portland starter Dennis Tankersley. With two out in the frame Peter Bergeron singled to center field. Second baseman Luis Figueroa then doubled down the left field line, scoring Bergeron from first base. Tankersley turned in a masterful performance of his own, limiting the Trappers to just the one run in 7.0 innings of work. He yielded only three hits, walked one and struck out five. Right-hander Bryan Gaal (0-1) took over for Tankersley in the bottom of the eighth inning and retired the side in order. Figueroa led off the ninth inning with a single to right field. Gaal was replaced by left-hander Cliff Bartosh, who uncorked a wild pitch, allowing Figueroa to advanced to second base. Cepicky then took a 1-1 pitch by Bartosh into center field, scoring Figueroa with the game-winning and division-winning run. Lefty Eric Knott (6-5), who was optioned to Edmonton on Thursday, got the final out of the ninth inning for his sixth win of the season.
Highlights:
Trappers: Are 36-30 at TELUS Field.are the North Division Champions for the second consecutive year.will open the Pacific Conference Final at TELUS Field on Wednesday night.have won six straight games, a season-high, eight of the last 11 and 11 of the last 16.four of the last six wins have come in the Trappers final at-bat.pitching staff went a season-high 17.2 innings without allowing a run. Edmonton leads the season series, 8-5.Edmonton leads the all-time series, 28-18.
2B Luis Figueroa: Doubled in the third inning, scoring Peter Bergeron with the first Edmonton run.singled and scored the winning run in the bottom of the ninth inning.is 20-for-50 (.400) in his last 11 games.has scored 65 runs and has 150 hits, both career-highs.
Alumni Report:
C Bengie Molina (ANA) @ KC: Hit a three-run home run off Jimmy Gobble in the second inning.plated a run with a sacrifice fly in the third and singled home a run in the seventh as the Angels downed the Royals 10-3.had a career-high five RBI.has 68 RBI.
Pacific Coast League Stories from August 30, 2003
- Beavers Edge Trappers - Edmonton Trappers
- Beavers Win Tight One in Edmonton - Portland Beavers
- Zephyrs Score in Bottom of Tenth to Defeat Redbirds, 1-0 - New Orleans Baby Cakes
- Missions outduel Express on historic night - Round Rock Express
- Express top own mark, set all-time attendance record - Round Rock Express
- Sounds Fall To Isotopes, 13-2 - Nashville Sounds
- 'Topes close in on division with 13-2 win - Albuquerque Isotopes
- Sox Fall 6-3 to Royals; Remain 1 Game Out of 1st - Colorado Springs Sky Sox
- 'Topes Miss Chance to Increase Lead, Fall to Nashville, 11-4 - Albuquerque Isotopes
- Trappers are North Division Champions - Edmonton Trappers
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