[Questdog]

Thursday, April 10, 2003

We are in Milwaukee to play the Brewers a 4 game series through the weekend. They split a pair of games here with San Antonio to open the season. We were 2-6 against them last year and 4-4 in 2001. They won 82 games last year and finished in 4th place in the PCL East. They were 2nd in the PCL in scoring last season with 758 runs (4.68/G). They were dead last in fewest runs allowed with 767 (4.73/G), 1 run more than the Denver Bears. Their pitchers allowed 161 HR last year, by far the most in the League. Salt Lake City allowed the 2nd most with 133. They are in a new park this season, however, that favors pitchers.

Portland Beavers (1-1 .500 tied for 1st (and last) place in the PCL West) at
Milwaukee Brewers (1-1 .500 1 GB tied for 3rd place in the PCL East)

Every team in the PCL West is 1-1!

POR: Frank Flores (23-R 13-12 3.39 last year) vs. MIL: Tim Willcox (31-R 18-9 3.52 last year)

Willcox was acquired from Dallas in a trade this January for RF Kennie Masline (28-L). He allowed 25 HR last year and 29 the year before. We were 1-1 against him last year with Dallas, but he pitched decently in both games.

Lineups: Pos Name (Age-Bats BA-AB-HR-RBI-OPS)
PORTLAND
1: RF Jerry Suazo (28-L .125-8-0-0-.250) 6 for 11 (.545) with 2 HR vs Willcox
2: CF Brian Mitchell (22-L .167-6-0-0-.452)
3: 3B Fernando Mexicano (22-L .250-8-0-0-.750) Silver Slugger
4: 1B Glenn Snowden (26-R .286-7-0-1-.571) Silver Slugger/2-time All-Star(MVP)/Gold Glove(01)
5: C Jim Shippy (32-R .000-7-0-0-.000)
6: LF Kim Springer (22-L .286-7-0-0-.571)
7: SS Dave Risinger (27-R .000-7-0-0-.000)
8: 2B Juan Rojas (24-S .286-7-0-1-.571)
9: P Frank Flores (23-R Season debut)

MILWAUKEE
1: 3B Antonio Flores (27-L .250-8-0-2-.500)
2: LF Dong-hak Shong (24-L .571-7-0-0-1.339)
3: 2B Gregg Hobbs (29-R .400-5-0-0-1.025) Silver Slugger(01)/All-Star(01)
4: C Larry McNeil (27-R .500-4-0-0-1.000)
5: 1B Steve Quakenbush (22-L .000-6-0-1-.125) Rookie #19 prospect
6: SS Fernando Medina (31-S .000-8-0-0-.000) 2-time Silver Slugger/2-time All-Star FA from Toronto
7: RF Bob Wick (30-R .000-6-0-0-.000)
8: CF Miguel Aguilar (33-L .143-7-0-0-.536) FA from Salt Lake City
9: P Tim Willcox (31-R Season debut) Trade from Dallas

Game Start: 7:05 PM
Ballpark: Milwaukee County Stadium
Weather: 48 F, Partly Cloudy, with a 13 MPH wind blowing in from center
Attendance: 17,423

Top of the First:
Jerry Suazo grounds out to short. He got a hit in his first AB as a Beaver and is 0 for 8 since... Brian Mitchell grounds out to 2nd. Fernando Mexicano grounds out to 1st, unassisted...

Bottom of the First:
Antonio Flores swings at a 3-2 pitch and grounds a hit to left... Dong-hak Shong swings at a 3-2 pitch and hits a home run to left... 2 to 0, Brewers. Greg Hobbs grounds out to short. Larry McNeil grounds a hit to center. Steve Quakenbush swings at a 3-2 pitch and grounds a hit to center and McNeil beats the throw to 3rd. A wild pitch scores McNeil... 3 to 0, Brewers. The Bullpen is up. I revamped the Bullpen this winter, thinking we had a pretty good starting rotation.... Fernando Medina lines out hard to right. 2 outs. Bob Wick lines out hard to left...

Top of the Third:
Dave Risinger is the first player to not make an out for us with a triple to right center! Of course, scoring him from there will be problematic.... Juan Rojas strikes out... With the infield in, P Frank Flores grounds one to 1st, but rookie Steve Quakenbush boots it and Risinger scores! 3 to 1, Brewers. Jerry Suazo grounds out to 1st, unassisted, and P Flores goes to 2nd. 2 outs. Brian Mitchell lines a hit to center and P Flores scores! 3 to 2, Brewers.

Bottom of the Fifth:
Antonio Flores leads off with a triple to right center... The Bullpen is up again. Dong-hak Shong beats out an infield hit and Flores scores. 4 to 2, Brewers. Gregg Hobbs grounds into a 4-6-3 double play!

Top of the Sixth:
Jerry Suazo grounds a hit to right. Brian Mitchell lays down a bunt and beats it out for a hit! Fernando Mexicano grounds a hit to center and the bases are loaded with no outs. Glenn Snowden beats out an infield hit and Suazo scores! 4 to 3, Brewers. Jim Shippy, still looking for his first hit of 2003, finds it with a grounder to right that scores 2!! 5 to 4, Beavers! That does it for P Tim Willcox. New Pitcher: Rick Webber (21-R), a rookie making his Major League debut. #36 prospect. Kim Springer strikes out... Dave Risinger swings at the first pitch and grounds out to 3rd and the runners advance. 2 outs. They walk Juan Rojas intentionally, which is not too smart, because they have to know I will pinch-hit for P Frank Flores. PH Carlos Lopez (28-L) to get his 1st PA as a Beaver. He swings at a 3-2 pitch and misses....

Bottom of the Ninth:
On the Hill: Roy Huls (22-R), after getting 2 outs in the 8th. With 2 outs, PH Bob Goemaat (22-L), a rookie who is 1 for 1 on the season, takes a 3-2 pitch for ball 4. Miguel Aguilar grounds out to 2nd and THIS Ball Game Belongs to the Beavers!!

Won - 5 to 4

We had 8 hits and made 1 error
Milwaukee had 7 hits and made 1 error

Frank Flores (W 1-0) went 5 innings, allowed 4 runs, 7 hits, 1 home run, no walks and struck out 3. He threw a WP. At bat, he did not have a hit or a walk, but scored a run and and an RBI.
LHP Victor Alvarez (H 1), in his Beaver debut, went 2.1 perfect innings with 1 strikeout.
RHP Roy Huls (SV 2) went 1.2 scoreless innings, allowed 1 walk and struck out 1.

Tim Willcox (L 0-1) went 5+ innings, gave us 5 runs (3 earned), 7 hits, no walks, 1 HBP and struck out 5.

Our batters have struck out 26 times in the first 3 games, tied for the 2nd most in Baseball. Denver has 28. The League average is 5.3 per game.

RF/LF Jerry Suazo had 2 hits and scored a run. CF Brian Mitchell had 2 hits, scored a run and had an RBI. 1B Glenn Snowden had a hit and a walk (INT) and an RBI. And his 1st error. C Jim Shippy had his 1st hit of the year and bagged 2 RBI with it. SS Dave Risinger hit a triple and scored a run. 2B Juan Rojas was hit by a pitch and walked intentionally.

For Milwaukee, LF Dong-hak Shong ha 2 hits with a home run and 3 RBI.

Around the League: Nobody wanted LF Fernando Martinez much when we tried trade him this past winter and we had to settle for a decent relief pitcher from the Giants. I figured it was his $1.4 million salary that was scaring everyone off, but New York has already signed him to a 4 year extension for $7.8 million....

Down on the Farm: Rookie Don Marshall (23-L), our 4th round draft pick this year, pitched a 4 hit shutout at Tucson in his debut for Vancouver (A). He walked 3 and struck out 7. 134 pitches. At bat, he had a hit.The Mounties won, 4 to 0. Rookie C Tim Higbee (20-S) had 3 hits with 2 doubles and an RBI.