Mail Tribune Sports - Rockies send TJs home with 9-2 setback

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Rockies send TJs home with 9-2 setback PORTLAND -- After taking the first two games of a three-game series from the Portland Rockies, the Southern Oregon Timberjacks weren't able to make a clean sweep Wednesday afternoon. Portland pitchers Cam Esslinger and Jesse Labitzke combined to muzzle an offensive attack that's averaged better than 7 runs per game as the Rockies pounded the Timberjacks, 9-2, before 5,777 at Civic Stadium. Southern Oregon entered the day averaging 10 hits per game, but settled for eight and never really got the big one as it stranded 12 runners. It was one of the few times in 32 Northwest League games the Timberjacks weren't in the game to the bitter end. The last really ugly outing was an 11-2 debacle July 9 in Spokane. The Timberjacks get the chance to deepen the moat around first-place in the Southern Division with three more games against the Rockies starting 7:05 tonight at Miles Field. Southern Oregon trailed 2-0 before scoring its first run in the second inning when Jose De La Cruz singled to right to send Matt Howe to the plate. The Timberjacks tied the game at 2-all in the fourth inning when Jeremy Schied tripled to right field and scored on Howe's single to left field. The Rockies responded with three runs in the fifth to chase Southern Oregon starter Nate Hilton (1-1) as Chris Moore drove in Jorge Sosa and Eric McQueen with a two-run single. Reliever Jay Crawford was promptly greeted with an RBI single to left by Justin Hemme to make it 5-2. Portland broke it open in the sixth when Ricardo Mahoney scored on a passed ball and Sosa beat Schied's throw from first on a fielder's choice to make it 7-2. The Rockies added two more in the eighth on Moore's RBI triple and Dan Phillips' sacrifice fly. After having his 15-game hitting streak snapped in Tuesday's 6-5 win over Portland, Mike Lockwood singled Wednesday and has now hit safely in 21 of the Timberjacks' last 23 games. The TJs match pitcher Keith Surkont (1-3) tonight against Portland's Colin Young (0-1). Today's Sports Index Mail Tribune   Copyright� The Mail Tribune 1999, Medford, OR U.S.A.