Watson's inside-the-park homer helps lift Trappers
May 1, 2004 - Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Edmonton Trappers News Release
Center fielder Brandon Watson hit only the fourth inside-the-park home run in TELUS Field history, scored three runs and stole a base as the Edmonton Trappers downed the Portland Beavers 8-2 Saturday afternoon at TELUS Field. The home run was the first of the season for Watson and just the fourth of his career, which has spanned almost 500 games. He also reached base on two bunt singles and was safe on an error in the third inning. Watson is a former ninth round draft pick, who set a club record with 180 hits last season with the Harrisburg Senators. The win avenged a 10-2 loss to the Beavers on Saturday night and gives the Trappers a two-games-to-one advantage in this series. Edmonton has dominated Portland through the years at TELUS Field and has now won 21 of the 27 games played between the two clubs in Edmonton. The Trappers have outscored the Beavers 164-94 in those 27 contests. Edmonton entered the day ½ game behind the first-place Salt Lake Stingers in the North Division of the PCL. The Trappers and Beavers conclude this four-game series on Sunday afternoon at TELUS Field. Edmonton will begin an eight-game road trip in Tacoma on Monday night.
The Trappers opened the scoring with a single run in the bottom of the second inning off Portland starter Chris Oxspring (3-1). First baseman Luis Lopez led off with a walk and advanced to second when Jorge Toca singled to right field. Catcher Randy Knorr drew a walk to load the bases and shortstop Anthony Medrano cashed in Lopez when he grounded into a fielder's choice. Watson reached on an error by Portland shortstop J.J. Furmaniak to open the third inning. He stole second, advanced to third on a fly ball and scored on Scott Hodges' sacrifice fly. Edmonton took command of the game with a five-run fifth inning, the Trappers highest scoring frame of the season. Watson led off the fifth inning with his second bunt single of the game, advanced to second on a base hit by Maicer Izturis and scored on a single to left-center field by Hodges. Lopez then doubled to the gap in left-center, plating both Izturis and Hodges. He advanced to third on an infield single by Toca and scored on a base hit to right field by Knorr. Toca later scored the final run of the inning when Jeremy Ware grounded into a double play.
The Beavers finally broke through with a run in the sixth inning off Trapper starter Scott Downs (3-0). Center fielder Gene Kingsale reached on an infield single and then scored on a triple by second baseman Bobby Scales, who also tripled in the first inning and doubled in the fourth. With one out in the sixth inning Watson laced a line drive into left field that snuck under the glove of Jon Knott and rolled all the way to the wall. The inside-the-park homer gave the Trappers a seven-run lead. Portland capped the scoring in the seventh inning as first baseman Yamid Haad led off with a single to center field, advanced to second on an error and scored on a triple by Furmaniak. Downs had an outstanding afternoon, allowing just two runs, one earned on six hits in 8.0 innings of work. He did not walk a batter and struck out three to earn his third win of the season. Downs retired 16 of the first 18 batters that he faced, with Scales being the only Portland batter to reach base in the first five innings. He threw 81 pitches, 62 for strikes.
Highlights:
Trappers: Have a 13-9 record...finished the month of April with a winning record for the first time since 1997...own a 21-6 record in four seasons against the Beavers at TELUS Field...lead the all-time series 32-19 (.627)...began the day with the second highest team batting average in the PCL (.300)...have scored 126 runs in the first 22 games of the season, an average of 5.7 runs per game...have hit just 12 home runs, the lowest total in the league, but have stolen 22 bases.
CF Brandon Watson: Was 3-for-5 with three runs scored, a home run and a stolen base...home run was his first of the season and fourth of his career...was also the fourth inside-the-park homer in TELUS Field history.
Pacific Coast League Stories from May 1, 2004
- Wright silences PCL's hottest hitting team - Omaha Storm Chasers
- 'Topes fall short 5-4 - Albuquerque Isotopes
- Watson's inside-the-park homer helps lift Trappers - Edmonton Trappers
- Watson runs Trappers past Beavers - Portland Beavers
- Sacramento blasts Tucson, 10-0 - Tucson Sidewinders
- 'Topes fall prey to long ball in 13-1 rout - Albuquerque Isotopes
- Petrick leads Portland rout - Portland Beavers
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