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Updated: Sat Sep 06 03:20:22 EDT 2003

OAKLAND ATHLETICS ORGANIZATION NOTEBOOK

SACRAMENTO... 1B GRAHAM KOONCE homered for the third straight game to help the River Cats upend Las Vegas, 8-4, August 21. Koonce, who finished with five RBI in a win over Las Vegas the night before, followed a double and a walk with a two-out, three-run homer to start the scoring in the bottom of the third inning. Koonce, named the league's MVP, was leading the league with 109 RBI through August 27...

RHP JUSTIN DUCHSCHERER won his 10th straight decision with six strong innings in a 4-3 victory over Las Vegas August 23. Duchscherer, who struck out four and walked one, was honored as the league's Pitcher of the Year four days later. The 25-year-old righthander has not lost since June 3, a span of 13 starts and one relief appearance...

The River Cats jumped out to a first-inning lead and never looked back, crushing Tucson, 7-1, to win their 13th straight game at Raley Field August 24. With 13 consecutive wins, Sacramento matched Memphis for the longest home winning streak in the league and the National Association this season. OF JERMAINE DYE made a rehab appearance in the triumph over the Sidewinders. Dye, recovering from a separated right shoulder, went 2-for-5 with a pair of RBI singles....

MIDLAND... LHP BILL MURPHY pitched seven scoreless innings (5 H, 0 BB, 4 SO) in a 2-0 win against Arkansas August 24. RHP JOE BLANTON, moved to the bullpen to preserve his arm for the end of the season, recorded his first professional save...

RHP MIKE ZIEGLER threw eight scoreless innings (6 H, 4 BB, 8 SO) in a 4-0 win against Arkansas August 26, marking the fourth straight start in which he allowed two earned runs or less...

1B DAN JOHNSON hit .353 (18-51, 1 2B, 6 HR, 23 RBI, 1 SB) in 15 games August 7-23 and was leading the league with 27 homers, 113 RBI and was second with 90 runs scored through August 27....

MODESTO... C JED MORRIS homered and drove in a career-high six runs to help the A's cut down Visalia, 10-5, August 21. Morris, who was a 36th-round pick of the Oakland Athletics in 2002, opened the scoring with a two-run double in the first frame and came around to score on an RBI single by OF JASON PERRY, giving Modesto a 3-0 lead. After drawing a leadoff walk in the third, the 23-year-old crushed a three-run homer to cap a five-run fourth frame and added an RBI single in his final at-bat...

OF GARY THOMAS had his second 20-game hitting streak of the season snapped August 23. Thomas, who hit safely in 20 straight back in June, batted .382 with 11 RBI during the streak...

C CASEY MYERS hit safely in 13 straight games (26-52, 5 2B, 18 RBI) July 14-August 27, raising his average from .223 to .316...

LHP BRAD WEIS allowed two runs or fewer in nine consecutive starts July 12-August 22 (64.2 IP, 39 H, 12 R, 8 ER, 18 BB, 69 SO), going 8-0. He also struck out 10 batters (7 IP, 6 H, 2 R) in an 8-3 win against High Desert August 22...

KANE COUNTY... OF NELSON CRUZ hit three home runs for the second time this season as the Cougars crushed Peoria, 13-4, August 24. Cruz, who was traded from the New York Mets to the Oakland Athletics in August 2000, hit a three-run homer in the fourth frame, connected on a solo shot in the fifth and added his team-leading and career-best 20th longball in the seventh inning, plating two more runs. In the victory, Cruz also scored a career-high four runs, finished with six RBI and became the first player in the National Association to notch a pair of three-homer games in one year since 1999, when Russell Branyan accomplished the feat with Buffalo of the International League...

SS JOHN MCCURDY went 5-for-5 with a double and two RBI in a 7-2 win over Wisconsin August 25. McCurdy hit safely in 15 straight games (32-68, 9 2B, 1 3B, 2 HR, 11 RBI, 5 SB) August 11-27, raising his average from .247 to .277....

VANCOUVER... RHP BRAD KNOX pitched six scoreless innings (4 H, 3 BB, 6 SO) in a 6-0 win at Everett August 23. With the win, Knox improved to 6-0 with a 1.85 ERA over his last 12 outings. His 2.11 ERA overall was third in the league through August 27...

1B EDWARD KIM hit .563 (9-16, 1 2B, 1 HR, 3 RBI) in five games August 18-23...

RHP DAN FYVIE did not allow a run in nine games August 9-26 (15.1 IP, 6 H, 5 BB, 17 SO), posting a win and three saves....

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