PCL: Grizzlies Rally Late for 5-4 Win Over Beavers

The Beavers make their 2007 home debut against Fresno at PGE Park on Friday.

Salem-News.com SPORTS

FRESNO, Calif. - Former Beaver Justin Leone tied the game with a solo home run in the seventh inning, and reigning Pacific Coast League MVP Scott McClain drove in the go-ahead run with a two-out single in the eighth as the Fresno Grizzlies defeated the Portland Beavers 5-4 Sunday afternoon at Chukchansi Park.

The Beavers (1-3) took a 4-3 lead in the sixth inning after overcoming an early three-run deficit, but Leone’s solo home run off reliever Aaron Rakers (ROCK-erz) tied it.

An inning later, Tomas De La Rosa reached on a one-out single against Scott Strickland, later stole third base and scored when McClain dropped a pinch-hit single into right field.

Leone, who was a Triple-A All-Star with the Beavers last season, was 2-for-3 with a walk, two RBIs and two runs scored for the Grizzlies, who won three of the four games in the season-opening series with Portland.

Craig Stansberry was 2-for-3 with two walks and an RBI to lead the Beavers, who open a four-game series at Sacramento on Monday.

The Beavers looked to be in good shape when Royce Huffman led off the ninth with a double, but Fresno closer Brian Wilson worked out of trouble to get his first save of the season for the Grizzlies (3-1).

Billy Sadler (1-0) worked two scoreless relief innings for the win, while Strickland (0-1) took the loss.

After digging a 3-0 hole, the Beavers sent eight men to the plate in the fifth. Pitcher Cesar Carrillo, who walked to start the inning, scored from third on a groundout, and the Beavers knotted things at 3-3 on a sacrifice fly by Pete Laforest and a two-out RBI single by Vince Sinisi.

Portland took the lead in the sixth on a two-out RBI double from Stansberry, who has hit safely in each of the team’s four games.

Fresno’s late-inning rally spoiled what was in line to be the first Triple-A victory for Carrillo (ku-REE-o), who was making his first appearance since his Triple-A debut with the Beavers on June 6th, 2006.

Carrillo struggled a bit early, but he settled in to retire 10 of the final 12 batters he faced in his second career Triple-A appearance. The 22-year-old right-hander struck out five and yielded three runs, six hits and four walks in five innings.

Carrillo, who was sidelined for the entire second half of the 2006 campaign with a strained right forearm, is regarded as the top pitching prospect in the San Diego Padres organization and is the youngest player on the Portland roster.

The Grizzlies worked a two-out rally in the bottom of the first to take a 2-0 lead. Carrillo retired the first two batters he faced before Chad Santos reached on a single to center.

Leone drew a walk, Nate Schierholtz drove in Santos with a single to right, and Leone scored on an RBI single by Dan Ortmeier.

Justin Knoedler led off the bottom of the second with a single and later scored from third when Leone beat out an infield single.

The Beavers make their 2007 home debut against Fresno at PGE Park on Friday, April 13th.

Tickets for the home opener are available at the PGE Park box office, area Ticketmaster outlets, by phone at (503) 224-4400 and online at www.ticketmaster.com or www.portlandbeavers.com.

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