Trappers Held at Bay

August 24, 2003 - Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Edmonton Trappers News Release


Center fielder Jason Bay was 3-for-4 and scored the winning run in the bottom of the seventh inning as the Portland Beavers downed the Edmonton Trappers 8-6 Saturday night at PGE Park in Portland. The defeat, the Trappers third consecutive loss to the Beavers, drops Edmonton 1 ½ games behind the first-place Salt Lake Stingers in the North Division standings. Salt Lake defeated Tacoma 12-1 on Saturday night. The third-place Beavers are 2 ½ games behind the Stingers. Bay, a native Trail, B.C., has now scored 11 runs in 10 games against the Trappers this season. He has had a tremendous season for the Beavers and entered the night batting .301 with 20 home runs in only 88 games with the San Diego Padres top affiliate. Portland won the five-game series three-games-to-two, but the Trappers still lead the season series, 7-5. Edmonton will begin a crucial five-game set in Salt Lake on Sunday night. The Trappers will conclude the regular season with a four-game series against the Beavers at TELUS Field over the Labour Day long weekend.

The Trappers opened the scoring with four runs off Portland starter Clay Condrey in the fourth inning. Second baseman Luis Figueroa tripled with one out in the inning and scored on Terrmel Sledge's RBI single. Valentino Pascucci followed the Sledge base hit with a single of his own, putting runners at first and second. With two out third baseman Scott Hodges belted his 12th home run of the season giving the Trappers a four-run advantage. Everything unraveled for Edmonton starter Seung Song in the fifth inning. Left fielder Alex Fernandez led off with a double to center field and catcher Wiki Gonzalez followed with a two-bagger of his only that only managed to advance Fernandez to third. Condrey helped his own cause with a double that plated both runners to cut the Edmonton lead in half. Donaldo Mendez singled to put runners on the corners for Khalil Greene, who singled, scoring Condrey. With one out Tagg Bozied's base hit through the left side scored Mendez. Vic Darensbourg replaced Song and yielded a single to Xavier Nady that loaded the bases. With two out Fernandez singled, scoring Bozied and Greene to cap the six-run fifth for Portland.

Edmonton fought back to tie the game in the seventh inning. Hodges led off with a base hit to left field and Randy Knorr followed with a single that put runners at first and second. Matt Hampton (1-3) replaced Condrey and promptly made a throwing error, which allowed Anthony Medrano to reach safely and Hodges to score. Luis Ortiz then delivered a game-tying, pinch-hit single that plated Knorr from third base. The Trappers loaded the bases with only one out in the inning, but Hampton managed to get Sledge to line into an inning-ending double play that ended the threat. Bay led off the bottom of the seventh inning with a single and advanced to second on Bozied's second base hit of the night. Sledge misplayed the ball in right field, allowing Bay to score and Bozied to move up to third. Nady then delivered Bozied with a sacrifice fly that gave the Beavers an 8-6 lead. Edmonton threatened again in the eighth inning, but left two runners stranded against Portland closer Brandon Villafuerte, who pitched 1.1 scoreless innings for his 10th save.

Highlights:

Trappers: Are 30-38 on the road...there were no walks in the game...are 10-12 on the road since the All-Star break...are 16-23 since the All-Star break...trail the North Division-leading Salt Lake Stingers by 1 ½ games...the Beavers are in third place, one game behind the Trappers...are 21-18 vs. the North...Edmonton leads the season series, 7-5...Edmonton leads the all-time series, 27-17.

RF Terrmel Sledge: RBI single in the fourth inning broke a scoreless tie...has hit safely in 10 consecutive games. ...is 16-for-40 (.400) during that span...also scored a run...began the night tied for the league lead in runs scored with 86...has 83 RBI and 150 hits.

Alumni Report:

1B Matt Stairs (PIT) @ MIL: Smashed a game-tying, two-run home run in the top of the ninth inning, but the Brewers came right back with a run in the bottom of the ninth to win 7-6...scored two runs and had two walks...has 16 home runs...is batting .293.



Pacific Coast League Stories from August 24, 2003


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