Trappers Cap Regular Season with 5-1 Win

September 1, 2003 - Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Edmonton Trappers News Release


Left fielder Jeff Bailey hit a tie-breaking three-run home run in the bottom of the sixth inning leading the Edmonton Trappers to a 5-1 victory over the Portland Beavers Monday afternoon at TELUS Field. The win finished off a successful regular season for the Trappers, who captured the North Division championship on Friday night with a dramatic 2-1 victory over the Beavers. Edmonton finished the regular season as one of the hottest clubs in the Pacific Coast League, winning eight of their final nine games. Ironically the Trappers began the season by losing eight of their first nine games. On May 11th the Trappers trailed the Beavers by eight games, but they swept a doubleheader from Portland that day and the race for first place began. Edmonton took sole possession of first place on July 1st and held on for most of the last two months, pulling away in the final week. The Trappers ended the season with a five-game lead over the second-place Beavers in the North Division standings. Edmonton will open the best-of-five Pacific Conference Final at home against the Sacramento River Cats on Wednesday night. Game two will also be in Edmonton on Thursday night, with the series finishing up in California over the weekend.

The starting pitchers on Sunday afternoon, Edmonton's Ron Chiavacci and Portland's Mike Bynum (7-12), cruised through the first three innings keeping the game scoreless. In fact, the only hit in those three frames was a one-out single by Bynum in the top of the third. Edmonton finally broke through with a single run in the bottom of the fourth inning. Second baseman Jake Thrower led off with a single to right field and moved up a base on Valentino Pascucci's single to right-center. With two down in the frame third baseman Scott Hodges blooped a single into left field, scoring Thrower from second. The Beavers battled back in the fifth inning to tie the game with a run off Chiavacci. First baseman Jon Knott led off with a single to right-center and advanced to second when the next batter, Rico Washington, drew a free pass. Both runners advanced on a wild pitch and Donaldo Mendez followed with a ground ball that scored Knott with the tying run. Chiavacci exited after the fifth inning, allowing one run on two hits and two walks, while fanning six. On the season he struck out 81 batters in just 97.1 innings.

Bynum allowed only four hits in the first five innings, but the sixth frame would be his undoing as the left-hander yielded three runs on two hits. Center fielder Terrmel Sledge led off the inning with his 161st hit of the season, a double over the left fielder's head. With one out Sledge stole third. Bynum then walked Ryan Balfe and got Hodges to pop up setting the stage for Bailey's three-run blast to left field. It was the first home run at the Triple-A level for Bailey, who has hit safely in all five games that he has played with the Trappers since being transferred to the club from Double-A Harrisburg. Edmonton added an insurance run in the eighth inning off reliever Cliff Bartosh. Hodges singled with one out to advance Balfe, who had reached on a fielder's choice. Hodges was erased at second base on a Bailey ground ball, but Randy Knorr followed with a single to left field that plated Balfe with the final run of the game. Four Edmonton relievers closed out the contest by tossing 1.0 shutout inning each. Tim Drew was the winner, moving his record to 5-9.

Highlights:

Trappers: Were 38-31 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 eight of their last nine games.are 23-7 when scoring the first run at TELUS Field.Edmonton won the season series, 10-6.Edmonton leads the all-time series, 30-18.

CF Terrmel Sledge: Was 1-for-4 with a run scored and a double.has hit safely in 16 consecutive games, going 27-for-63 (.429).has scored 18 runs and driven in 22 runs during the streak.set career-highs with 161 hits, 95 runs, 22 homers and 92 RBI.

Alumni Report:

RF Michael Ryan (MIN) vs. ANA: Smashed a two-run home run off John Lackey in the third inning to account for all the Twins' scoring in a 10-2 loss to the Angels.was his first home run in the Major Leagues and his first two RBI of the season.had three hits.



Pacific Coast League Stories from September 1, 2003


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