[Questdog]

Tuesday, May 7, 2002

Rookie P Duke McKenzie (24-R) was sent back to Vancouver and p Roger Lerer (28-L) was recalled. Lerer is currently healthy, but probably for not much longer...

Portland Beavers (15-17 .469 9 GB tied for 3rd place in the PCL West) at
Houston Astros (13-19 .406 9 GB in 6th place in the PCL East)

POR: Ricardo Gil (23-R 2-1 2.40) vs. HOU: Tommy Kessell (33-R 2-4 3.65)

Gil only allowed 5 hits an no walks in 7.1 IP last time out, but somehow managed to give up 4 runs in a no decision.

Kessell is their #1 starter. He was 1-1 against us last year with one really good game and one stinker.

Lineups: Pos Name (Age-Bats BA-AB-HR-RBI-OPS)
PORTLAND
1: 3B Rich Cruz (30-R .292-24-0-4-.732)
2: CF Brian Mitchell (21-L .248-105-0-4-.603) Rookie
3: 2B Shannon Kuchta (24-R .244-123-3-14-.721)
4: LF Fernando Mexicano (21-L .281-114-9-22-.894)
5: 1B Rick Woodell (30-L .214-42-0-4-.565)
6: C Jim Shippy (31-R .400-20-2-6-1.258)
7: RF Jose Julio (28-R .233-129-0-5-.538)
8: SS Juan Rojas (23-S .211-19-0-1-.449)
9: P Ricardo Gil (23-L .083-12-0-0-.167)

HOUSTON
1: 2B Tom Babcock (26-L .257-70-1-9-.690)
2: CF Greg Wertz (30-R .261-111-0-10-.647)
3: RF Mike Oakley (28-L .257-109-5-15-.788)
4: 3B Russ Jimenez (31-R .272-114-2-10-.790) All-Star
5: SS Jim Sager (23-R .266-124-2-8-.689)
6: 1B Tony Norris (29-R .228-79-3-10-.682)
7: LF Willie Cadena (32-L .261-46-0-4-.668)
8: C Dalton Steele (27-L .333-30-2-5-.955)
9: P Tommy Kessell (33-R .077-13-0-0-.220)

Game Start: 7:05 PM
Ballpark: Minute Maid Park
Weather: 88 F, Clear Skies, with a 14 MPH wind blowing in from right
Attendance: 17,203

Top of the First:
Rich Cruz swings at a 3-2 pitch and grounds out to 1st, unassisted. Brian Mitchell grounds a hit to right. He steals 2nd. Shannon Kuchta grounds out to the pitcher and Mitchell goes to 3rd. Fernando Mexicano lines one down the left field line for a double and Mitchell scores! 1 to 0, Beavers! Rick Woodell swings at the first pitch and lines out to center.

Bottom of the First:
Tom Babcock swings at a 3-2 pitch and flies out to center. Greg Wertz grounds a 1-2 pitch up the middle for a hit. A wild pitch sends him to 2nd. Mike Oakley swings at a 3-2 pitch and hits a home run to right center... 2 to 1, Astros. Russ Jimenez grounds a double down the left field line. Jim Sager lines a 3-2 pitch to left for a hit and Jimenez scores. 3 to 1, Astros. Another wild pitch sends Sager to 2nd... Tony Norris flies out to left. 2 outs. Willie Cadena grounds a 1-2 pitch to right for a hit and Sager scores... 4 to 1, Astros. The Bullpen needs some rest, so Gil is going to have to suck it up or a while... Dalton Steele lines a hit to left... P Tommy Kessell swings at the first pitch and lines out to 2nd. 42 pitch inning...

Bottom of the Fourth:
Willie Cadena and Dalton Steele lead off with back to back hits. P Tommy Kessell bunts the runners up. Tom Babcock pops out to 1st. Greg Wertz watches a 3-2 pitch go by for strike three!

Bottom of the Fifth:
Mike Oakley leads off by striking out, but P Ricardo Gil is in pain and calls out Trudy the Trainer.... New Pitcher: Jim Kokos (28-R). With 2 outs, he walks Jim Sager and then Tony Norris lines a hit to center. Willie Cadena strikes out!

Top of the Sixth:
Brian Mitchell grounds a hit to right. With 1 out, he steals 2nd. Fernando Mexicano draws a walk. Rick Woodell lines a hit to left and Mitchell scores! 4 to 2, Astros. Jim Shippy grounds into a force at 2nd, 1-6, and Mexicano goes to 3rd. 2 outs. Jose Julio grounds a hit to right and Mexicano scores and Shippy goes to 3rd! 4 to 3, Astros. A wild pitch scores Shippy. Tie game: 4 to 4! Juan Rojas swings at a 3-2 pitch and grounds out to 1st, unassisted.

Bottom of the Eighth:
On the Hill: Jeff Gleason (25-R), beginning his second inning of work after a perfect 7th. Jim Sager loops a hit to center and Brian Mitchell overruns the ball for an error and Sager is at 2nd... Tony Norris squibs one in front of the plate and he is out, 2-3, but Sager moves to 3rd. We walk Willie Cadena intentionally... Dalton Steele flares one to left center and Brian Mitchell, who had him shaded to right, makes a diving catch to save a hit! Sager rushes back to 3rd and tags up and heads home, but Mitchell pops up and fires a strike to C Jim Shippy to throw him out and end the inning!!!!

Top of the Ninth:
New Pitcher: Tommy Trainum (35-R), their closer. 1.38 ERA with 2 BB and 12 SO in 13 IP. We go down in order with 2 strikeouts....

Bottom of the Ninth:
Jeff Gleason still on the mound, starting his 3rd inning of work. Only 13 pitches thrown. C Vince Giroux (32-R), making his season debut and who has hit .186 over the last two season in A Ball, draws a walk...Tom Babcock swings at a 3-2 pitch and misses! Greg Wertz strikes out! 2-2 pitch to Mike Oakley and he hits a home run down the right field line...

Lost - 6 to 4

We had 8 hits and made 1 error
Houston had 11 hits and made no errors

Ricardo Gil went 4.1 innings, allowed 4 runs, 8 hits, 1 home run, 1 walk and struck out 3. He threw 2 WP.
RHP Jim Kokos went 1.2 scoreless innings, allowed 1 hit, 2 walks and struck out 1.
RHP Jeff Gleason (L 1-1) went 2.2 innings, allowed 2 runs, 2 hits, 1 home run, 2 walks (1 INT) and struck out 3.

Tommy Kessell went 6 innings, gave us 4 runs, 7 hits, 2 walks and struck out 5. He threw a WP.
RHP Tommy Trainum (W 3-0) pitched 1 perfect inning and struck out 2.

CF Brian Mitchell had 2 hits and a walk, stole 2 bases and scored 2 runs. He also made an error, but also threw out a runner at the plate. LF Fernando Mexicano hit a double, drew a walk, scored a run and had an RBI. SS Juan Rojas had 2 hits. PH/1B Glenn Snowden had a hit.

For Houston, RF Mike Oakley hit 2 home runs, including the game ender, and had 4 RBI.

Trudy's report on Ricardo Gil is forearm inflammation, which does not sound that bad, but she says it will likely take 3 months to heal.... He missed two months last season.... He seems to be injury prone.... Trade bait this winter...