IL All-Stars down PCL's best
7/17/2009PORTLAND, Ore. - Erik Kratz and Drew Stubbs each hit two-run home runs, leading the International League to a 6-5 victory over the Pacific Coast League in the Triple-A All-Star game on Wednesday night.
Esteban German of Oklahoma City hit a two-run home run in the bottom of the ninth, but the PCL could not catch their IL counterparts.
"I thought we had something going, but you know what? It was fun regardless," said Chad Huffman, a PCL All-Star for the hometown Portland Beavers, the San Diego Padres' affiliate.
Kratz, a catcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates' affiliate Indianapolis, hit a two-run shot in the sixth inning to put the IL up 6-3.
Reid Brignac of the Durham Bulls doubled in a run before Stubbs, of the Louisville Bats, hit his two-run homer in the third inning to give the IL a 3-0 lead before a sellout crowd at Portland's PGE Park. The PCL answered with a solo home run from Brendan Katin of the Nashville Sounds, the Milwaukee Brewers affiliate.
The IL added a run in the fifth when Rochester's Justin Huber sacrificed to shallow center and scored Scranton/Wilkes-Barre's Austin Jackson, who tripled. The PCL narrowed it to 4-2 in the bottom half on German's two-run single.
"I got an opportunity to start and play. I really appreciate the fans who voted me in," Kratz said. "You see these guys all year [his fellow players] so it's fun to catch them."
Right-hander Bud Norris of the Round Rock Express started for the PCL squad and fellow righty Justin Lehr of Louisville, Cincinnati's Triple-A club, started on the IL side.
Hall of Famer Dave Winfield, who was a 12-time major league All-Star and seven-time Gold Glove winner, and former Red Sox great Johnny Pesky, a Portland native, threw out ceremonial pitches.
A sellout crowd of 16,637 was on hand for the game at Portland's downtown ballpark, which will soon start undergoing renovation for a new Major League Soccer franchise that will begin play in 2011.