51s blow lead in Game 1

Victoria Sun

Thursday, Sept. 5, 2002 | 9:56 a.m.

Mayor, Logan explore stadium in Memphis

Mayor Oscar Goodman and 51s president/general manager Don Logan flew to Memphis last week to check out AutoZone Park, the plush minor league stadium of the Memphis Redbirds, the triple-A affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals.

Logan and Goodman have been talking with Southwest Sports Group, owners of the Texas Rangers and Dallas Stars, about building a new stadium in Las Vegas on 61 acres of unoccupied land downtown.

Southwest Sports Group established a relationship with Goodman when it represented the Rangers in an attempt to move the team's spring training facilities here last season.

"At that time, what had been conceptualized was that a central stadium would be built there as part of the centerpiece of spring training," Logan said. "They've seen what happened in Cleveland and San Francisco and what a new stadium could do for a city.

"They told the mayor then that even though this (spring training) didn't happen, they'd be interested in helping develop the 61 acres."

Logan said the group is scheduled to give the city council a report next month.

By Victoria Sun

Although they never faced him, the 51s knew all about Edmonton ace Scott Randall.

He was 12-0 with a 3.25 ERA in the regular season and good enough to be an all-Pacific Coast League selection.

As it turned out, he wasn't the one who blanked the 51s.

The 51s pounded Randall for eight hits and seven runs in three innings, but the Trappers rallied from a 7-0 deficit to post a 9-7 victory in game one of the Pacific Coast League playoffs at Cashman Field Wednesday night behind relief pitcher Juan Rincon.

Sent down from the Minnesota Twins July 20 after almost a month in the big leagues, Rincon did what Randall couldn't.

He entered the game to start the fourth inning with the 51s leading 7-4. Rincon allowed just two hits and struck out five in 4 1/3 innings.

"Rincon did a great job of keeping us off-balance," said 51s shortstop Chris Clapinski, who went 4-for-5 with two runs. "We've never faced Randall or Rincon and you don't know what to expect."

The 51s (85-60) and Trappers (82-59) will square off in the second game of the best-of-5 series at Cashman Field at 7:10 tonight.

Leading 7-4, Las Vegas starter Robert Ellis retired 12 consecutive batters before surrendering a walk and an RBI double to Lew Ford, cutting the 51s' lead to 7-5 in the seventh inning.

Victor Alvarez relieved Ellis with Ford on second and two outs. Edmonton outfielder Michael Ryan, who finished second in the PCL with 31 home runs, smacked Alvarez's 1-0 pitch for a two-run homer tying the game 7-7.

Alvarez struck out the next batter, but walked three of the next four before being pulled in favor of Bryan Corey in the eighth.

Corey gave up a lead-off walk in the ninth before giving way to Steve Colyer. Ryan teed-off on Colyer's 1-2 offering for a game-winning home run.

Edmonton's strength, as the 51s learned, is offense. The Trappers finished third in the PCL in batting average .287 and first in home runs (202).

"They swing the bats really well," said 51s catcher Tommy Davis, who doubled in two runs. "We just tried to mix up pitches and keep them off-balance.

"They were down and never hung their heads. You've got to tip your hats to them."

Once Edmonton scored four runs in the third off Ellis, 51s' third baseman Rick Bell said the 51s should have responded.

"As an offensive club, we needed to change the momentum of the game, score some more runs and get something going," he said.

The 51s had no trouble scoring early.

Davis and Bell's two-run doubles off Randall highlighted a six-run first inning. Luke Allen hit a sacrifice fly in the first and another in the second for the 51s' final run.

Bell went 3-for-4 with two RBIs. Ellis allowed four hits, six runs, four walks and struck out six in 6 2/3 innings for a no decision.

"We knew going in they were capable of coming back," 51s manager Brad Mills said. "We kept battling and I'm proud of them.

"We had the winning run at the plate in the ninth, but we just couldn't get it done. We're just going to go out, play hard and go from there. We're all right."