Play Ball!

The first inning started out good for the PCL as starter Justin Duchscherer [Sacramento/ A's] got Anton French [LF- Pawtucket/Red Sox] to ground out.

Then French's teammate, Lou Collier got hit by an inside pitch that the speedy leftfielder would make Duchscherer regret.

Collier proceeded to steal second and later scored on an RBI single from Brandon Larson, who had been called up to Cincinnati earlier in the day.

Down one run, with one out in the first, the PCL got a break when Alfredo Amezaga [SS- Salt Lake/Angels] advanced to second on an error by Jason Smith [SS-Durham/Devil Rays], who misplayed a lazy blooper to shallow left that rolled to the fans in foul territory.

After IL starter Ryan Madson [Scranton-WB/Phillies] hit Terrmel Sledge [ColSprings/Rockies] with a pitch and Rob Stratton [Albuquerque/Marlins] walked to load the bases, Bubba Crosby [RF- Las Vegas/Dodgers] was able to bring Amezaga home on an infield grounder.

Making of a MVP Award

It didn't take but one pitch for the IL to take back the lead in the second inning.

From the moment Johnny Estrada's [Richmond/Braves] bat hit that one pitch, you could tell it was gone. The round tripper gave the IL a 2-1 advantage.

After giving up the home run to Estrada, Duchscherer settled down to retire the next batters, 1-2-3.

Tagg Bozied [Portland/Pirates] tagged a double to the warning track to lead off the bottom of the second, but without another hit in the inning, the PCL would leave him stranded at second base.

Speed Kills

Anton French was due up in the third, and in a display of pure speed at its best, he was able to beat out a dribbler hit between the pitcher and first base.

French is so fast you almost need to see it to believe it. He was halfway down the line before pitcher Doug Sessions [New Orleans/Astros] could even react to the ball, and French was safe by a mile.

In an attempt to single-handedly produce some offense, French easily stole second base with a great jump that even Rickey Henderson himself would have admired.

So good in fact, Catcher Pat Borders [Tacoma/Mariners] did not even bother throwing to second base.

French reached third on a wild pitch, but his IL teammates failed to push him across.

Unearned Runs

After Pawtucket's Bronson Arroyo took over on the mound for the IL in the third, Alfredo Amezaga once again reached base on an error when the ball slipped through the legs of 1B Ross Gload [Charlotte/White Sox].

Terrmel Sledge then singled to right to advance Amezaga to third.

Rob Stratton came up and sent a hit, as well as a shattered bat, flying towards IL third baseman Travis Chapman [Scranton-WB/Phillies].

Chapman managed to dodge the pieces of lumber, but could not come up with play, as Stratton was safe at first, earning an RBI while scoring Amezaga.

After a wild pitch moved Stratton to second and Sledge to third, Garrett Atkins [3B-ColSprings/Rockies] hit a sacrifice fly to right, bringing Sledge home.

Tagg Bozied struck out, stranding Stratton to end the PCL threat in the third inning.

Redemption Found

Gload redeemed his previous error, by hitting a crushing two-bagger that was only about two-feet short of clearing the wall in the fourth inning.

Johnny Estrada, with a home run already under his belt, got his second RBI of the game when he singled home Gload.

Then Jason Smith, who also had an error earlier in the game, crushed a 355-foot homer to right to extend the IL lead to 5-3.

Up and Down

This was turning into a seesaw battle, and predictably, the momentum would again shift to the PCL's favor.

After Pat Borders singled to lead off the fourth, Rene Reyes [LF- ColSprings/Rockies] blasted a rocket over the '373 sign in right-center field, and again the game was tied at 5-5.

Bernie Castro [Portland/Padres] singled, and then Amezaga hit a blooper that seemed to hang in the air forever, to the corner in left, legging out a double.

Collier made a nice play on the ball to keep Castro from scoring, holding him at third.

When Sledge walked to load the bases, Rob Stratton, who came into the game leading all of minor league baseball with 29 HR, stepped into the batter's box with a chance to break the game wide open for the PCL.

Stratton did his best to excite the crowd, hitting a shot that looked like it had the distance.

Lou Collier went a-way back, and with his back practically touching the wall, made the catch.

Although, it didn't go over, Stratton got the job done, giving the ball a deep enough ride to tag everyone up, scoring Castro.

The PCL got out of the jam with an inning-ending double play.

Home, Not So Sweet Home

Memphis Redbird Jason Ryan delighted the fans at Auto Zone Park, when he took the mound to begin the fifth inning.

Unfortunately for the fans, the fifth was also the inning where the IL would take the lead for good.

First, Ryan gave up a leadoff single to Collier, and then walked Mark Smith [Indianapolis/Brewers]. Gload then hit a RBI single to score Collier from second base.

Johnny Estrada came to the plate and for the third time, he came through. This time, he hit a double off Ryan to plate Smith from second.

The IL would never relinquish the lead Estrada provided.

Sam Marsonek [Columbus/Yankees] took the hill in the fifth for the IL and promptly retired the side 1-2-3, in what was the first dominating pitching performance of the game.

The pitching struggles continued for the PCL though.

Cory Vance [CoSprings/Rockies] struck out Travis Chapman before Anton French singled up the middle.

Lou Collier, who has been showing some unprecedented power this season, then took one deep to left field, with just enough on it to get over the fence.

Another run would score on a passed ball, giving the IL a commanding 11-6 lead.

Going Down Swingin'

After Mike Bell [Tucson/Diamondbacks] fouled out to start the bottom of the sixth inning, Jason Bowers [Memphis/Cardinals] drew a walk and plenty of cheers from his hometown crowd.

Mike Kelton [Iowa/Cubs] then reached on a fielder choice, and Bowers advanced to third base on an errant throw.

With two men on, Oklahoma City's Jason Jones crushed a ball to deep centerfield that rivaled any shot hit in the home run derby.

Jones' three-run shot seemed to breathe some life into the crowd, and brought the PCL within two runs, at 11-9.

That was all the PCL would be able to muster though, as they were effectively shut down by the IL bullpen the rest of the game.

French Insurance

Anton French led-off the seventh with a walk and later scored from first after Aaron Miles [Charlotte/White Sox] hit a nice shot to center for a double.

In the top of the ninth, French padded the lead again with a solo shot that landed halfway up the stands in right.

When the IL went to Durham's Lee Gardner in the bottom of nine, the game was good as finished.

Gardner, who was the league leader in saves with 20, made the three outs seem like just a formality.

The Aftermath

When it was all said and done, the IL was victorious in an offensive laden 'bombfest' where six players went yard.

The 13-9 contest was the highest scoring AAA All-Star Game in the 16-year history of the game.

Johnny Estrada was named the MVP of the game, going 3-3, with 3 RBI, a HR and a double that game the IL the go-ahead run.

"We just wanted to go out and win this game, and it worked out for us," Estrada said after receiving the both the MVP and the IL 'Stars of Stars' awards.

The Oklahoma RedHawks' Jason Jones earned the PCL 'Stars of Stars' award for his sixth inning three-run homer.

Sam Marsonek earned the win, while Redbirds pitcher Jason Ryan was saddled with the loss.

"It was nerve-racking out there," Ryan stated. "The strike zone is real small when they're swinging at everything."

The fact their hometown pitcher took the loss did nothing to "dampen the spirits of the passionate Memphis Red Birds fans," stated Fran Shove of Memphis.

"I am sure that Jason was disappointed that he took the loss, merely because he is such a competitor; but having seen Jason perform so well to this point in the season, there is no doubt that he will bounce right back to his winning ways," Shove said. "The knowledgeable baseball fans here in Memphis know, all too well, that the game of baseball is, at times, unpredictable."

According to Fran it's "just another reason to love the game."

The 2003 AAA All-Star game was indeed a great experience for any fan that loves the national pastime.

 

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