FOR GAMES OF 07/23/02 by Matt Santillo and David J. Decter OGDEN (PIO) 1B PRINCE FIELDER finished 4-for-5 with three extra-base hits and three RBI in the Raptors' 11-2 victory over Medicine Hat. Fielder lined an RBI double in the first inning, singled and scored in the third and led off the seventh with his ninth longball of the season. He ripped a run-scoring double in the eighth and later scored his third run of the game. Overall, the 18-year-old collected an RBI in his eighth consecutive game, batting .353 with five homers and 14 runs driven in over that span. Currently, the 5-11, 286-pounder ranks eighth in the league in hitting with a .350 average, is second in homers and RBI (35) and third in slugging percentage (.650) and extra-base hits (19).

AKRON (EAST) LHP JASON STANFORD pitched a commanding, three-hit shutout in the Aeros' 12-0 triumph over Erie. Stanford struck out nine batters without issuing a walk in the second shutout of his career, improving to 6-5 with a 3.35 ERA in 15 starts with Akron. The 25-year-old, who won five straight starts between May 3-24, retired 17 of 20 batters through six innings, induced an inning-ending double play in both the third and seventh frames and punched out the final five batters of the contest. The 6-4, 200-pound southpaw, who went 3-1 with a 2.35 ERA in five outings with Buffalo of the Class AAA International League earlier this season, recorded his first shutout in his only appearance with the Bisons last season. He spun a three-hitter with 10 strikeouts and no walks on September 3, 2001. The Arizona native was signed by the Indians as a nondrafted free agent on November 16, 1999.

ELSEWHERE IN THE MINOR LEAGUES

ALTOONA (EAST) LHP BRIAN O'CONNOR tossed his first career shutout in the Curve's 5-0 victory over Harrisburg in the second game of a doubleheader. O'Connor scattered four hits, issued three walks and struck out nine batters over seven innings, improving to 3-5 with a 3.74 ERA in 16 outings, including 10 starts. The 25-year-old retired 11 of the first 12 batters he faced, including the side in order by strikeout in the second, and fanned two batters in both the sixth and seventh frames. The Ohio native, who has not allowed a run over his last 14 frames, has yielded just six hits and fanned 13 over that span.

BIRMINGHAM (SOU) RHP BRIAN WEST struck out a career-high 11 batters in the Barons' 4-1 victory over West Tenn. West allowed a run and five hits with a pair of walks issued over 8 1/3 innings, matching the longest start of his four-year career. The only other time he recorded an outing of that length was on June 9, 2000, pitching for Burlington of the Class A Midwest League. The 21-year-old struck out the side in the first inning and fanned a pair of batters in both the fifth and seventh frames. He retired 19 of 20 hitters between the third and ninth innings in the win, improving to 8-6 with a 4.35 ERA over 19 starts in his first season of Class AA ball. The 6-4, 230-pound hurler was selected by the White Sox in the first round (35th overall) of the 1999 draft.

BRISTOL (APPY) OF ANTHONY WEBSTER went 5-for-5 with a double, a triple and three RBI in a 22-13 victory at Pulaski. Webster tripled and scored in the first inning, drove home a run when he was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded in the fifth and lined a two-run double in the eighth. He also singled and scored his third run of the game in the ninth for the White Sox, who scored the most runs in an Appalachian League game since Elizabethton plated 23 against Bristol on August 19, 1999.

MARLINS (GULF) OF JOSE APONTE extended his hitting streak to 20 games in a 7-1 triumph over the Expos. Aponte singled and scored in the first inning, but finished 1-for-5 with a pair of strikeouts. The Venezuelan, who is batting .384 (28-for-73) over the streak, began the season in a 0-for-13 slump before starting his hitting streak on June 26.

NEW ORLEANS (PCL) RHP BRAD LIDGE matched a career-high of 11 strikeouts in the Zephyrs' 5-0 shutout of Nashville. Lidge scattered three hits and issued a walk over seven innings for the win, improving to 4-3 with a 3.75 ERA in 17 outings, including 12 starts. The 25-year-old fanned at least one batter in each of the seven innings, including the side in the second and two hitters in both the fourth and seventh frames. Lidge struck out 11 in consecutive outings to open the 2001 season for Round Rock of the Class AA Texas League. On April 6, the 6-5, 200-pounder punched out 11 in a five-frame outing and, on April 11th, he fanned the same number over six innings. The California native made five appearances with Round Rock to open the season and had a brief 2 2/3-innings stint with Houston before settling in with the Zephyrs. The Notre Dame product was selected 17th overall by the Astros in the 1998 draft.

PIRATES (GULF) LHP ZACH DUKE threw a two-hit shutout at the Orioles in the first game of a doubleheader, 6-0. Duke, who yielded a single in both the fourth and sixth frames, struck out six and walked a pair to win his fourth consecutive start. A 20th-round pick in the 2001 draft, the Texas native raised his record 4-0 with a 2.18 ERA in his first professional season. Duke, who has not allowed more than four hits in any of his outings, has allowed two runs or less in five of six starts. OF RAJAI DAVIS had two hits, including a triple, and two RBI for the victors. The 21-year-old, who also stole a base, leads the Gulf Coast League in batting with a .407 average, hits with 46 and runs scored (24). 2B MIKE COCKRELL had three hits, including an RBI single in the fourth, and two run scored for the Pirates.

VERO BEACH (FSL) RHP ANDREW BROWN pitched a one-hit shutout in the first game of a doubleheader at Brevard County, 3-0. Brown yielded a third-inning double and three walks, striking out a career-high 10 and hitting a batter, over seven innings to improve to 7-9 with a 3.67 ERA. The righthander fanned five of seven batters between the third and fifth frame. This was the first shutout and complete game for the 21-year-old, who was apart of the Dodgers' trade of Gary Sheffield to Atlanta last January. In the second game, LHP LUKE LOCKWOOD threw six strong innings, allowing a run and striking out four, as the Manatees earned a split of the twinbill, 5-1.