=== Daily Dugout Chatter - Friday, July 16th === (Games from Thursday, July 15th)
From The My Sportsbook
MORE WOOD FROM NORWOOD
Ryan Norwood went 3-for-5 with a homer and seven RBI as the Boise Hawks won their fifth game in a row, a 15-6 victory over the Vancouver Canadians. The 15 runs and 19 hits for the Hawks were season-highs, with the win streak the longest since last August. After Vancouver took a 1-0 lead in the first, Boise laced five consecutive hits in the bottom of the frame, including a two-run double by Norwood to take a 5-1 lead. The Canadians would score twice in the second and third to tie the score, but a five-run fourth, capped by a Norwood three-run bomb, gave the Hawks the lead for good. Tony Richie went 4-for-4 with a double, triple, and three RBI and Luis Montanez went 3-for-4 with a double in the victory, which clinched the series and season series with Vancouver. Game 4 of the five game set is tomorrow at Memorial Stadium.
NINE IN THE NINTH
The Clinton LumberKings (13-7, 48-40) scored nine runs in the top of the ninth inning to beat the Burlington Bees (11-9, 33-57) 13-5 at Community Field tonight. It was the second time in two days that the LumberKings set a season- high for runs in an inning their last at-bat to beat the Bees. An eight-run seventh gave the LumberKings a 9-5 win in game one of last night's double- header. The LumberKings took two out of three in this series and now lead the season series 8-3 over the Bees. The LumberKings sent nine men to the plate in the top of the first inning and scored four runs on five hits to take an early lead on Bees' starter Greg Atencio.
EDMONTON IS SITTING ON 22'S
Ryan Church and Anthony Medrano each had a big night at the plate, combining four six hits, eight RBI, and five runs scored, as the Edmonton Trappers destroyed the Salt Lake Stingers 22-5 in PCL action. Church drove in four and scored three times, while Medrano had four RBI and scored twice. Val Pascucci had four hits, two runs, and two RBI in the win, with Ron Calloway driving in three for Edmonton. Maicer Izturis, Randy Knorr, and Brandon Watson contributed to the onslaught with two RBI and three runs scored apiece. The top of Edmonton's lineup was unbelievable, with the one through five hitters combining for 15 hits, drove in 15 runs, and scored 11 times. The Trappers improved to 47-43 with the impressive win, and now trail Tacoma, who have dropped five straight, by just two games in the Northern Division. Ron Chiavacci (4-6) took full advantage of the run support to pick up the win. In 5 2/3rd innings, Chiavacci allowed four runs on eight hits, walked two and struck out seven. Salt Lake starter Steve Green had a night he'd like to forget. Green was hammered for ten runs on ten hits in just 2 2/3rd innings to suffer the loss, dropping to 5-9. Dallas McPherson and Raul Mondesi each homered and drove in two runs in the loss, as the Stingers fell to 37-54. Salt Lake will try to bounce back tomorrow, when they host Edmonton again at 9:00 PM (ET).
MCNEAL DROPS DEUCE IN WIN
Aaron McNeal collected four hits and belted two home runs to pace the Charlotte Knights 11-7 win over the Columbus Clippers in International League action on Thursday night. McNeal hit his second and third home runs of the year in the third and eighth innings, respectively, but Charlotte broke the game open in the fourth by erupting for seven runs. Bryant Nelson slugged a three-run homer in the inning. It was his 15th of the season. Kevin Reese and John Rodriguez hit homers for Columbus in the losing effort. Rodriguez finished the game 2- for-4. The Knights chased Buddy Carlyle after four innings of work and scored eight runs on the strength of eight hits against him. Carlyle (4-2) suffered the loss. Jason Grilli picked up the win and improved to 7-6 on the year. Columbus (49-41) will host Charlotte (44-49) again on Friday. The first pitch is scheduled for 7:25 PM (ET).
DZURILLA GIVES DIAMOND JAXX WIN
Mike Dzurilla hit a solo home run in the bottom of the ninth as the West Tenn Diamond Jaxx edged the Mobile BayBears, 3-2, in Southern League action Thursday night. West Tenn evened its record at 9-9 while Mobile fell to 7-12. Dzurilla blasted a one-out offering from RD Spiehs over the leftfield fence to give West Tenn their ninth win of the season. West Tenn started off the scoring in the bottom of the fifth with a solo home run from Geovany Soto, his 6th of the season. Mobile struck back with two in their half of the sixth coming off of back-to-back RBI singles from Josh Barfield and Rico Washington. Richard Lewis tied the score at 2-2 in the bottom of the eighth with an RBI triple that plated Ronny Cedeno. Jermaine Van Buren struck out the side in the ninth and earned his first win of the season. Starter Ricky Nolasco went six strong and only surrendered two runs. Mobile's Spiehs suffered the loss and fell to 4-2 after surrendered the game- winning home run. Spiehs gave up two runs on three hits over 1 1/3rd inning. Kennard Jones collected two hits and scored a run for the BayBears.
BAUSHER CONTINUES TO IMPRESS
Jeff Baker and Tony Miller each hit a three-run home run, while Ryan Shealy chipped in with a two-run blast, as the Tulsa Drillers smacked five home runs en route to an 11-1 rout over the Wichita Wranglers. Tulsa pounded Wichita for the second straight night, taking last night's game 11-1 as well. Danny Sandoval and Juan Piniella had a solo home run each for the Drillers. Sandoval had three hits on the night, and also scored twice. Piniella and Miller also had two runs scored apiece in the win. Tim Bausher (2-3) struck out eight in five innings of work, allowing just a run on three hits to pick up the win, as Tulsa improved to 12-10. Jimmy Serrano (2-1) was saddled with the loss. He allowed seven runs, six earned, on eight hits in five innings. Leading 2-1 entering the bottom of the fifth inning, Tulsa blew the game open with five runs in the frame, thanks to Miller and Shealy going deep. Shealy's home run gave him 21 for the year, good enough for the Texas League lead. Ruben Gotay knocked in the lone run for the Wranglers, who fell to 15-7, with a solo home run in the fourth inning.
ROUND ROCK 'N' ROLL
Todd Self scored the go ahead run on a throwing error by San Antonio third baseman Rob Gandolfo in the top of the seventh inning, to help the Round Rock Express defeat the San Antonio Missions, 2-1. DJ Houlton (7-3) tossed 7 1/3rd solid innings to pick up the win. He allowed just a run on six hits, struck out six and walked just a batter. Santiago Ramirez picked up his 26th save, tossing 1 2/3rd innings. Charlton Jimerson smacked a solo home run in the fifth inning as the Express improved to 11-11. Phil Devey (1-2) allowed two runs, one earned, on six hits in seven innings of work. He struck out eight and walked just one, but was dealt the tough loss. Ryan Christianson knocked in the lone Missions run, as they dropped to 14-8.
SEADOGS RUB OUT YANKEE ACE BROWN
Kenny Perez homered and drove in three runs and three Portland pitchers combined to give up just one run as the Sea Dogs hammered the Trenton Thunder 9-1. Perez went 2-for-3, including his fifth homer of the year, and scored one run to lead the Portland offense. Ryan Cameron shutout Trenton for the first four innings but did not figure in the decision. Cameron gave up five hits, walked three, and struck out three. Juan Perez (5-0) picked up the win in relief with three innings of one-run ball. Perez allowed one earned run on two hits and struck out three. Tim Hamulack closed out the contest with two scoreless innings. Kevin Brown (0-1) got lit up for five runs, three earned, in just two innings of work. He gave up seven hits in his short outing. Brown was making a rehab start for the New York Yankees affiliate. Jeff Bailey chipped in two RBI and one run scored and Sheldon Fulse had three hits and scored two runs in the victory. Bronson Sardinha accounted for Trenton's lone run with a fifth inning solo home run, his fifth. Portland (43-48) has won two in a row and sit 10 games behind Binghamton in the Northern Division while Trenton (43-45) falls 8 1/2 games behind Binghamton.
TODD LINDEN "BOMBS" MECHE AND RAINIERS
Todd Linden had a monster night, crushing two three-run home runs while Lance Niekro chipped in with a solo shot, as the Fresno Grizzlies won for the seventh straight game, knocking off the Tacoma Rainiers, 9-4. Linden's first three-run bomb came in the bottom of the second inning and capped off a five-run frame. His second homer, a blast to right-center field, came in the bottom of the fourth inning with two outs. Niekro's solo shot came in the bottom of the first inning, tying the game 1-1. Noah Lowry improved to 6-4 with the win. He allowed three runs, two earned, on nine hits in seven innings of work. Lowry struck out six and walked a batter, as the Grizzlies improved to 41-51. Gil Meche (1-2) was rocked for nine runs on seven hits in four innings of work to suffer the loss. Jim Horner had a solo home run for Tacoma. Losers of their last five games, the Rainiers now hold just a two game lead over Edmonton in the Northern Division. The series will resume tomorrow evening, with a 10:05 PM (ET) scheduled start.
