Excuse me for the long Team News title, but we had to make sure the readers knew what they were getting when clicking on this one.
Kent Grange lowered his head in the dugout. Some weren't sure if it was because he blew the game or whether he feared the wrath of General Manager Chris Wilson. Portland led 1-0 going to the bottom of the 9th and the inigma that is Kent Grange blew the game in the 9th and then lost in the the 10th. Some of the bite from the loss was removed the following night when, tied at 4-4 going to the 9th, Alvin Conley's 9th inning homerun gave Portland the lead and the win to tie the series up a one apiece. That brought the pivotal rubber match the following night in Vancouver's "Outhouse".
Alvin Conley continued his hot opening month as a rookie when he belted a 2-run homer in the 3rd inning and Portland was staked to an early 3-1 lead. The game stayed that way heading to the 6th inning where we get our Kate's Kookies Moment of the Sim
Hideaki Ohayashi led the inning off with a single but was erased on a Conley fielders choice. Pedro Rosales struck out swinging and the Lumberjacks appeared primed to ruin a leadoff baserunner. After getting ahead 3-2, Jim Ashford saw the count go full before being plunked by a Geoffrey Greening offering and Portland had two aboard. Carlos Flores worked the count full as well and eventually drew a walk off Greening and suddenly the bags were loaded. Ashford and Flores combined to work 15 pitches off Greening before reaching base. The stage was now set for the 19 year old rookie Greg Squires.
The young 19 year old has had some ups and downs in his first month of the season but his youthful exuberance and the fact this team has little in terms of team goals to play for this year is allowing fans to fall in love with some of these younger, hopeful stars on the Lumberjacks. And what Squires did next definitely earned him fans in Portland.
Greening fell behind 2-0 to Squires. Reminder, the bases are loaded. Knowing Squires was a rookie, and again, just 19 years old, Greening didn't want to risk falling behind 3-0 and potentially walking in a run. So he grooved Squires a fastball. Mistake. Squires barreled the pitch and it sailed to right centerfield. There was never a doubt. GM Chris Wilson, watching the game at home in Portland as he refuses to travel to Vancouver unless it's absolutely necessary, leaped from his couch arms raised. The smattering of Lumberjacks fans in attendance at the "Outhouse" leaped to their feet in unison, arms raised as well. The ball traveled an estimated 428 feet to deep right center field. Squires had given Portland a 7-1 lead thanks to his first career grand slam.
The slam gave Portland the cushion they needed to secure, not only the victory on this night, but also the series. Let's just hope Wilson doesn't want to meet with Grange when they arrive back in Portland.
