Flashback: Pacific Coast League in Aug.-Sept.

Aug. 1 -- Juan Melo went 3-for-4 with a season-high six RBIs and two runs scored as Fresno ended a three-game losing with a 15-1 romp over Albuquerque in the nightcap of a doubleheader. Melo delivered an RBI single in the second inning, a three-run double in the third and laced a two-run double in the fourth. Matt Kinney pitched his first complete game of the season, allowing one run on two hits with two walks and seven strikeouts.

Aug. 1 -- Jason Hirsh, the eventual Pacific Coast League Pitcher of the Year, won his 12th straight decision as Round Rock defeated Sacramento, 6-3. The 6-foot-8, 250-pound right-hander allowed three runs on three hits with two walks and five strikeouts over seven innings. Hirsh set two other team records during the season, tossing 35 1/3 consecutive scoreless innings and 47 frames without yielding an earned run.

Aug. 2 -- Adam Pettyjohn and Jay Witasick held Memphis to four hits as Sacramento posted a 5-0 victory. Pettyjohn gave up all four hits and three walks with six strikeouts in 7 2/3 innings. Witasick retired all five batters he faced and Hiram Bocachica went 3-for-4 with a pair of RBIs for the River Cats.

Aug. 3 -- Sacramento set a team record with six home runs during a 15-1 romp over Memphis. Doug Clark led the way with four hits, including two homers, four RBIs and three runs scored. Keith Ginter and Jeremy Brown hit back-to-back solo shots in the third inning, while Scott McClain and Clark both went deep in the sixth. River Cats starter Jason Windsor won his 14th straight decision.
Audio: Clark homers again

Aug. 4 -- Alberto Callaspo went 5-for-5 to lift Tucson over New Orleans, 5-3. Callaspo had four singles and a homer to lift his batting average to .339. The shortstop led off the fifth inning with his fifth homer and Chris Young followed with his 20th. Callaspo and Young both scored on Robby Hammock's double in the first.

Aug. 4 -- Jack Cust slugged three homers to power Portland to a 7-5 win over Omaha. Cust belted solo jacks in the second, sixth and seventh innings, while Beavers starter Dewon Brazelton yielded four runs -- one earned -- on eight hits over 6 1/3 innings.

Aug. 5 -- Oklahoma ran its scoreless streak to a franchise-record 30 innings with a 5-0 win over Las Vegas. John Rheinecker made his first Pacific Coast League appearance since May 22 and gave up eight hits and four walks with two strikeouts over 6 1/3 innings. Kevin Walker allowed one hit in the ninth as the RedHawks set another team mark with their third straight shutout.

Aug. 6 -- Tucson scored nine runs in the eighth inning to rally past Oklahoma, 11-8. Chris Carter and Chris Young homered in the big inning, when the Sidewinders sent 13 batters to the plate. Jason Hart went 4-for-5 with a homer and two RBIs in a losing cause.

Aug. 7 -- Robinson Tejeda struck out a season-high 11 as Oklahoma blanked Tucson, 2-0. The 24-year-old right-hander gave up one hit and three walks over seven innings, lowering his ERA to 3.24 and winning his fifth straight decision.

Aug. 7 -- Juan Melo delivered a two-run single in the bottom of the 11th inning to give Fresno a 17-16 victory over Memphis. Mike Cervenak had an RBI groundout to pull the Grizzlies within 16-15 before Melo's base hit scored Fred Lewis and Kevin Frandsen. Tomas de la Rosa went 5-for-6 with three runs scored and two RBIs for Fresno. Timo Perez homered and drove in four runs, while Mike Rose was 4-for-6 with a homer and four runs scored for the Redbirds.

Aug. 8 -- Jason Windsor became the second 15-game winner in the Minor Leagues as Sacramento shut down Nashville, 6-1. Windsor, who had not lost since Opening Day, allowed one run on seven hits while fanning eight.

Aug. 8 -- Tom Wilson went 5-for-6 with a home run and five RBIs as Albuquerque pounded out 19 hits and routed Colorado Springs, 15-3. Wilson had four singles and a three-run homer. Mike Kinkade contributed three hits, three RBIs and three runs scored.
Audio: Wilson goes yard

Aug. 9 -- Red-hot J.R. House had a season-high five hits and drove in three runs to lead Round Rock over Salt Lake, 10-6. Since being promoted from Double-A Corpus Christi on July 28, the former Pittsburgh Pirates catcher and West Virginia University backup quarterback hit .529 (27-for-51) with two homers and 17 RBIs in 12 games.

Aug. 10 -- Former first-round pick Ben Fritz pitched seven hitless innings as Sacramento rolled past Nashville, 11-1. Fritz gave up an unearned run, walked four and struck out six as he lowered his ERA to 5.24. Zach Sorensen ended the no-hit bid when he led off the eighth with a single off Joe Kennedy. Dan Johnson and Scott McClain each drove in three runs for the River Cats.

Aug. 10 -- Kip Bouknight pitched 5 1/3 solid innings in his first Triple-A start of the season as New Orleans blanked Las Vegas, 2-0. The right-hander gave up one hit, walked three and struck out two in his first PCL appearance since Sept. 5, 2005.

Aug. 11 -- Abraham Nunez collected a season-high four hits, sparking Fresno to a 5-3 win over Las Vegas. Nunez singled and scored in the second and sixth innings and lined an RBI double in the third. Justin Knoedler doubled twice and drove in two runs for the Grizzlies.

Aug. 12 -- Salt Lake rapped 15 hits and held off Colorado Springs, 10-9. Bees right fielder Nick Gorneault went 5-for-5 to raise his batting average to .291, while Dallas McPherson homered twice to tie Gorneault for the team lead with 14. Jeff Baker had three hits and two RBIs for the Sky Sox.
Audio: McPherson's second homer

Aug. 13 -- Robinson Tejeda struck out 10 and won his sixth straight decision as Oklahoma edged Round Rock, 4-3. Tejeda yielded one run on three hits over five innings.
Audio: Tejeda registers his 10th K

Aug. 13 -- Journeyman Jermaine Clark recorded his 1,000th Minor League hit in Nashville's 11-2 loss to Albuquerque. The 29-year-old second baseman, a 1997 fifth-round draft pick of the Seattle Mariners who played for five Major League clubs, singled in the first inning to reach the milestone.

Aug. 14 -- Anastacio Martinez, Brett Campbell and Danny Rueckel combined on a four-hitter as New Orleans defeated Omaha, 6-2. Martinez gave up two runs on four hits and a walk while striking out six over six innings to win for the first time since July 20. Marlon Byrd and Tim Raines Jr. homered for the Zephyrs.
Audio: Hart's record-setting blast

Aug. 14 -- Jason Hart set a team record with his 58th homer with the RedHawks, who edged Round Rock, 3-2. The 28-year-old first baseman led off the third inning with a drive over the left-field fence for his 16th homer of the season. It broke the mark set by Scott Sheldon from 1998-99.

Aug. 15 -- Charles Thomas homered twice as Sacramento used a four-run eighth inning to beat Colorado Springs, 6-2. Thomas led off the bottom of the fifth with his fourth homer of the season and sent a blast over the right-field wall with two outs in the seventh to tie the score. An inning later, Scott McClain slugged a three-run homer to tie for the PCL lead with 26.

Aug. 16 -- Abraham Nunez homered twice and drove in six runs to power Fresno to an 8-3 triumph over Salt Lake. Nunez slugged three-run homers in the sixth and ninth innings. Jason Ellison and Fred Lewis each had two hits and scored twice for the Grizzlies, who totaled 64 hits in their last four games.
Audio: Nunez goes deep again

Aug. 17 -- Mark Mulder had a rough outing in his third rehab start as Memphis lost to Oklahoma, 5-2. The St. Louis Cardinals southpaw surrendered five runs on seven hits with five walks and three strikeouts in four innings. Joaquin Arias hit a two-run homer off Mulder in the third to give the RedHawks a 4-1 lead.

Aug. 18 -- Drew Meyer led off the bottom of the ninth inning and deposited a 2-0 pitch from reliever Brian Falkenborg over the right-field wall to give Oklahoma a 4-3 victory over Memphis. Nick Masset picked up the win, yielding two hits and two walks with two strikeouts in two scoreless frames.
Audio: Meyer wins it for the RedHawks

Aug. 18 -- Paul McAnulty knocked in five runs and Luke Allen lofted a sacrifice fly in the 11th inning to give Portland a 16-15 victory over Las Vegas. Terrmel Sledge, McAnulty and Jack Cust drew consecutive walks to start the 11th and, one out later, McAnulty lifted a fly ball to center field to plate the go-ahead run. Manny Alexander went 5-for-7 with three runs scored and Sledge scored four times for the Beavers.

Aug. 19 -- Jason Windsor tossed a seven-hitter to win his 16th straight decision as Sacramento edged Fresno, 5-4. The 24-year-old right-hander, whose last defeat came on Opening Day for Double-A Midland, struck out seven and walked one. Charles Thomas homered twice and drove in three runs for the River Cats.
Audio: Windsor completes his 16th straight win

Aug. 20 -- Ezequiel Astacio pitched seven strong innings as Round Rock blanked Memphis, 5-0. The slender right-hander gave up two hits, walked two and struck out six. He retired the last 13 batters he faced and lowered his ERA to 4.76. Brian Gordon, Brooks Conrad and Cody Ransom homered for the Express.

Aug. 21 -- Sun-Woo Kim tossed a one-hitter as Colorado Springs topped Tucson, 3-0. Kim threw 53 of 74 pitches for strikes, walking one and striking out five in his second shutout of the season. The 28-year-old Korean also was involved in the Sky Sox's last one-hitter on May 13 against Omaha, when he gave up a single over eight scoreless frames.
Audio: Kim makes quick work of the 'Winders

Aug. 22 -- Carlos Villanueva won his seventh straight decision as Nashville defeated Albuquerque, 6-2. The 22-year-old right-hander yielded one run on two hits and four walks while striking out five over six innings. Tony Gwynn Jr. homered and scored twice, while Graham Koonce drove in three runs for the Sounds.

Aug. 23 -- D.J. Houlton and Tim Hamulack combined on a two-hitter in Las Vegas' 3-1 win over Portland. Houlton gave up one run on two hits with eight strikeouts over seven innings. Hamulack walked one and fanned three in two hitless frames for his third save.

Aug. 24 -- Round Rock posted a 4-3 victory over Albuquerque and clinched its first Pacific Coast League playoff berth by capturing the American South Division title. Philip Barzilla scattered six hits and two walks with eight strikeouts over six shutout innings. Brian Gordon walked with one out in the bottom of the ninth inning and scored the winning run on an error by third baseman Jason Wood.

Aug. 25 -- Dustin Nippert pitched Tucson's third straight complete game as the Sidewinders defeated Tacoma, 11-2 in the opener of a doubleheader. The 25-year-old right-hander allowed two runs on seven hits and a walk while striking out three. Scott Hairston hit a solo homer in the fourth inning and smacked a three-run blast in the sixth.

Aug. 25 -- Fresno pounded out 24 hits and trounced Sacramento, 24-10. Jason Ellison went 5-for-5 with five runs scored and three RBIs, boosting his batting average to .409. Clay Timpner hit a grand slam, Lance Niekro went 4-for-6 with two doubles and four RBIs and Jed Hansen was 4-for-6 with a homer and three RBIs for the Grizzlies.
Audio: Ellison lines a double

Aug. 26 -- Jeff Fulchino recorded a season-high 10 strikeouts and collectted a career-high six RBIs as Albuquerque crushed Round Rock, 11-0. The 6-foot-5, 250-pound right-hander threw 123 pitches, allowing two hits and four walks over a season-best eight innings. He lined a two-run double in the fifth and became the first pitcher in Isotopes history to hit a grand slam in the sixth.

Aug. 27 -- Jon Knott hit a two-run homer with one out in the bottom of the 11th inning to give Portland a 9-7 win over Las Vegas. Knott, who went 5-for-6, followed a walk to Ben Johnson with a drive over the left-center field fence for his 28th homer. He also smacked a solo shot in the sixth.
Audio: Knott ends it with a dinger

Aug. 27 -- Tucson clinched the Pacific South Division title with a 13-7 triumph over Tacoma. Jon Weber went 3-for-5 with a homer, while Juan Brito drove in three runs for the Sidewinders, who locked up their first playoff berth since 1995. Alberto Callaspo and Matt Erickson also homered for Tucson.

Aug. 28 -- Derek Lee tossed a two-hitter as Oklahoma blanked Iowa, 1-0. The 32-year-old left-hander walked three, struck out three and induced 18 groundouts in his first complete game of the year. Randall Simon led off the bottom of the seventh inning with his 19th homer for the game's only run.

Aug. 28 -- Salt Lake defeated Tacoma, 3-1, to clinch its first division title since 2002. Dustin Moseley, who set a single-season franchise record with 12 wins, gave up one run on five hits with seven strikeouts and a walk over seven innings. Eddie Guardado also had 11 victories for the Bees in 1994 and Brian Cooper matched the mark in 2001.

Aug. 29 -- Former catcher Rich Dorman recorded a career-high 14 strikeouts over eight innings as Tacoma halted an eight-game slide with a 2-0 win over Salt Lake. Dorman allowed three infield singles, walked one and lowered his ERA to 4.35. Cesar Jimenez struck out two in the ninth to earn his first save.
Audio: Dorman's 14K performance

Aug. 30 -- Jon Nelson homered twice and drove in five runs as Tacoma rapped a season-high 23 hits in a 16-2 romp over Salt Lake. Nelson lifted a sacrifice fly in the first inning and slugged two-run homers in the fourth and eighth. Rainiers center fielder Adam Jones was 5-for-6 and scored three times. The first five batters in Tacoma's lineup went 19-for-28 with 13 RBIs and 13 runs scored.

Aug. 30 -- Micah Owings won his 12th straight decision as Tucson blasted Sacramento, 8-1. Owings yielded one run on four hits with five strikeouts in six innings. The 23-year-old right-hander lowered his ERA to 3.70 after going 6-2 with a 2.91 ERA for Double-A Tennessee.

Aug. 31 -- Eventual Pacific Coast League Most Valuable Player Scott McClain hit a two-run homer in Sacramento's 7-3 win over Tucson. The 34-year-old shortstop ranks second in the PCL with 106 RBIs, third with 27 homers and 246 total bases and ninth with 83 runs scored.

Sept. 1 -- Nelson Figueroa recorded his 100th Minor League win as New Orleans edged Memphis, 4-3. The 32-year-old right-hander gave up two runs -- one earned -- on three hits and three walks with five strikeouts in five innings of relief. He improved to 100-60 in 232 career appearances.
Audio: Corcoran saves it for Figueroa

Sept. 1 -- Nashville's Carlos Villanueva pitched seven perfect innings, but it wasn't enough as Round Rock rallied for a 7-5 victory. Villanueva retired the first 21 batters before giving up a leadoff single to J.R. House in the eighth. He lost his shutout bid when Eric Munson followed with a home run. The Dominican right-hander left without a decision after giving up two runs on two hits with 10 strikeouts in eight innings.

Sept. 2 -- Dustin Moseley set a single-season team record for wins as Salt Lake defeated Portland, 5-3, in the opener of a doubleheader. Moseley allowed three runs on six hits, walking two and striking out five over six innings to improve to 13-8. Mike Eylward drove in four runs for the Bees.
Audio: Moseley's fifth strikeout

Sept. 3 -- Nashville snapped a three-game slide and clinched its second straight American North Division title with a 4-2 victory over Round Rock. Chris Barnwell had two hits and two RBIs for the Sounds, who had lost seven of their previous nine games.

Sept. 4 -- Luke Carlin and Julius Matos combined to go 8-for-9 with four RBIs and four runs scored in Portland's 9-5 triumph over Salt Lake. Carlin was 4-for-5 with a homer, double, two singles and two RBIs. Matos singled in each of his four at-bats and also drove in two runs.
Audio: Carlin goes yard

Sept. 6 -- Carlos Villanueva fired seven strong innings to lead Nashville over Round Rock, 4-0, in the opener of their playoff series. The 22-year-old right-hander yielded two hits and two walks while striking out six. Allan Simpson and Luther Hackman each pitched a hitless frames to complete the shutout. Tony Gwynn Jr. hit a two-run homer in the seventh and Chris Barnwell was 3-for-4 for the Sounds.
Audio: Sounds win their playoff opener

Sept. 6 -- Alberto Callaspo delivered a run-scoring single with two outs in the bottom of the 11th inning to give Tucson a 4-3 victory over Salt Lake in the opener of their playoff series. Unbeaten since May 17, Sidewinders starter Micah Owings allowed one run on five hits and a walk while fanning six over six frames.
Audio: Callaspo comes through in the clutch

Sept. 7 -- Mike Rodriguez's RBI double in the top of the ninth inning lifted Round Rock to a 4-3 victory over Nashville, knotting their first-round series at one win apiece. The 26-year-old center fielder laced a first-pitch fastball from reliever Alec Zumwalt down the right-field line to plate Cody Ransom. J.R. House doubled twice and Ransom slugged a solo homer to give the Express a 2-1 edge.

Sept. 7 -- Dustin Nippert pitched 7 1/3 solid innings as Tucson beat Salt Lake, 4-2, to grab a 2-0 lead in their first-round series. Nippert yielded two unearned runs on three hits and three walks while striking out seven. The 25-year-old right-hander threw 76 of 111 pitches for strikes and won his third straight start against the Bees.

Sept. 8 -- Pinch-hitter Eric Munson's RBI single with two outs in the bottom of the 10th inning gave Round Rock a 6-5 win over Nashville and a 2-1 lead in their first-round playoff series. Express catcher Hector Gimenez went 3-for-5 with a homer and four RBIs.
Audio: Munson comes through in a pinch

Sept. 8 -- No. 9 hitter Adam Pavkovich slugged a two-run homer in the second inning and Salt Lake held on for a 5-3 win over Tucson to avoid a first-round sweep. Bees starter Nate Bland went six innings, yielding two runs on six hits and a walk with two strikeouts. Greg Jones worked out of a jam in the eighth and pitched a perfect ninth for the save.
Audio: Pavkovich goes yard

Sept. 9 -- Nashville's Justin Lehr flirted with a no-hitter in a 2-0 blanking of Round Rock. He did not allow a hit until Eric Munson singled with two outs in the seventh. Lehr pitched seven innings, allowing one hit and two walks with three strikeouts as the Sounds forced a decisive Game 5 in the first-round series. Nashville's Brent Abernathy went 3-for-4 with a solo homer in the second and an RBI double in the ninth.
Audio: Lehr loses his no-hit bid

Sept. 9 -- Robby Hammock drove in four runs as Tucson did all of its scoring in the first two innings and defeated Salt Lake, 10-8, to advance to the Championship Series. Hammock hit an RBI single in the first and a three-run double in the second. Jon Weber was 3-for-5 with two runs scored and an RBI.
Audio: Hammock's RBI double

Sept. 10 -- Ezequiel Astacio pitched a seven-hitter as Round Rock blanked Nashville, 8-0, to advance to the Championship Series. Astacio walked one and struck out four. Joe McEwing went 2-for-4 with a homer, three runs scored and two RBIs, while Jesse Garcia contributed three hits and two RBIs for the Express.
Audio: Astacio silences the Sounds

Sept. 12 -- Tucson scored three runs in the eighth inning and posted a 3-1 victory over Round Rock in Game 1 of the Championship Series. After Scott Hairston drew a bases-loaded walk to tie the score, Chris Carter smacked a two-run single to right field. Sidewinders starter Micah Owings yielded one run on five hits and a walk with seven strikeouts over 7 1/3 innings. Bill White replaced Owings with a runner on second and recorded the last two outs in the eighth to nab the win.
Audio: Carter's two-run single

Sept. 13 -- Dustin Nippert pitched seven solid innings as Tucson beat Round Rock, 6-3, to grab a 2-0 lead in the Championship Series. Nippert gave up one run on four hits with six strikeouts before four relievers pitched the final two frames. Alberto Callaspo hit a two-run single in the third and Juan Brito laced a three-run double in the eighth.
Audio: Callaspo puts the Sidewinders ahead

Sept. 15 -- Brian Barden and Robby Hammock hit back-to-back homers in the seventh inning as Tucson rallied for a 6-3 triumph over Round Rock to complete a three-game sweep of the Championship Series. The Sidewinders went 6-1 in the postseason to win their third title and first since 1993. Casey Daigle retired the only batter he faced in the sixth to pick up the victory.
Audio: Barden goes deep