Julio Mosquera singled home the go-ahead run in the top of the 19th inning as the Oklahoma RedHawks defeated the Memphis Redbirds 4-3 on August 26, capping the longest game in the National Association this season.

Following 12 scoreless innings, third baseman Hank Blalock led off the 19th with his 30th double of the season, moved to third on a sacrifice and scored on Mosquera's bouncer up the middle that glanced off the glove of pitcher Les Walrond's glove, snapping a 3-3 tie.

"When you play that long, if you lose, it's devastating," said Oklahoma manager Bobby Jones. "Both teams had their chances. It got to the point where everybody was trying to hit a home run to try and win the game."

Blalock doubled down the left-field line and scored on a single by catcher Todd Greene in the first inning and singled through the infield and scored the first of two runs in the sixth for a 3-0 lead on a base hit by third baseman Ed Sprague.

The two teams combined for 139 plate appearances, including 126 at-bats. Seven relief pitchers for Oklahoma combined for 13 innings of two-hit ball with 18 strikeouts.

Making the most of it
Huntsville Stars outfielder Peter Zoccolillo's offensive productivity has been so-so during the 2002 season. That is, until August 19 came around.

Prior to August 19, the 25-year-old Zoccolillo had 53 hits, six homers and 29 RBI in 65 games.

Zoccolillo went 2-for-4 with a solo home run against Greenville on August 19, igniting a six-game stretch where he went 10-for-21 with six homers, 14 RBI and nine runs scored.

Zoccolillo belted three home runs with six RBI, both career highs, in the Stars' 11-2 triumph over Carolina on August 23. He smacked a two-run homer to left field in the third inning and drew a walk and stole second base in the fourth.

The switch-hitter drilled a two-run shot to left-center field in the sixth inning and sent a two-run blast to right field in the eighth, giving him a career-high 10 homers in a season and at one level. He became the 18th player to hit three home runs in a minor-league game this season.

Four nights later, Zoccolillo homered twice with a new career-high seven RBI to help the Stars rally past Tennessee, 10-7, on August 27.

Zoccolillo entered the contest in the bottom of the seventh as a defensive replacement for outfielder Cristian Guerrero with his team trailing, 7-1. He got his first at-bat in the eighth inning and crushed a two-out, three-run blast that cut Huntsville's deficit to three.

In the ninth, with two outs and two runs in, the left-handed batter launched his first grand slam of the season to give his club a three-run lead.

Rare feat
El Paso outfielder Luis Terrero became just the third minor leaguer in modern history to hit for the cycle twice in the same season.

Terrero, who went 5-for-5 with a career-high six RBI against Round Rock back on May 26, went 4-for-5 and matched his career-high in RBI during a 14-1 rout of Shreveport on August 24.

Terrero doubled home a pair of runs in the second inning, had an RBI triple in the fourth, singled home a run in the eighth and belted a two-run homer during a five-run ninth inning.

The 22-year-old Terrero became the second player in as many seasons to accomplish the feat in the Texas League, joining Hank Blalock who turned the trick for Tulsa during the 2001 campaign. Cliff Floyd is the only other player to have two cycles in one season when he had a pair for Albany in the South Atlantic League back in 1992.

200 club
San Bernardino righthander Clint Nageotte became the 25th pitcher since 1980 to reach the 200-strikeout plateau when he fanned 10 batters during a 14-4 win over High Desert on August 25.

Nageotte allowed four runs, seven hits and walked one over seven innings, recording 10 or more strikeouts for the seventh time in his last eight starts. His minor league-leading strikeout total stands at 207 in 157 2/3 innings this season, tying him with Brad Penny, who fanned 207 batters for High Desert in the California League back in 1998. Lawrence Jackson owns the league record of 351 strikeouts back in 1952. Since 1980, Dwight Gooden has fanned the most batters in a single season when he struck out 300 back in 1983.

Highlights
Binghamton (Double-A Eastern League) shortstop Jose Reyes went 5-for-5 with a double and an RBI for the Mets in a 7-4 victory over the New Britain Rock Cats on August 22. The following night, Reyes hit a game-winning triple in the bottom of the eighth inning to lift Binghamton over the Norwich Navigators, 1-0, earning a sweep of their doubleheader. Reyes plated second baseman Esix Snead with his team-leading and league-tying eighth triple of the year. It was the third five-hit game of the season for Reyes, who was also selected to the league All-Star team.

Colorado Springs (Triple-A Pacific Coast League) outfielder Rob Stratton homered in the bottom of the 10th inning to lift the Sky Sox over the Iowa Cubs, 3-2, on August 27. Stratton, who homered twice on August 7, his first game with Colorado Springs after being traded by the Mets, belted his sixth homer with his new club in the fifth inning for a 2-0 lead and smacked his 27th of the season with one out in the 10th to seal the win for the Sky Sox.

Danville (Appalachian League) outfielder Matt Esquivel went 4-for-5 and drove in a career-high seven runs as the Braves routed Princeton, 15-1, on August 22. The 19-year-old Texan doubled home two runs in the first inning and scored after he led off the fourth with a base hit into left field. Esquivel then belted a three-run homer in the seventh and singled home two runs and scored in the ninth to cap his memorable performance. He has recorded four games with three or more RBI in his first season as a professional. Two nights later, Esquivel hit a pair of home runs and drove in five runs in a 7-5 win at Princeton.

Greensboro (Class A South Atlantic League) catcher Alejandro Fernandez collected two home runs, including the game-winner in the bottom of the ninth inning, to give the Bats a 6-5 victory over Charleston (W.V.) on August 24. The 21-year-old Venezuelan led off the second inning with his fifth longball and crushed a leadoff blast in the final frame, setting a new personal single-season high with 24 RBI.

Greenville (Double-A Southern League) outfielder Jermaine Allensworth drove in the game-winning run in the bottom of the 12th inning to lift Greenville over the Tennessee Smokies, 7-6, on August 23. Allensworth, who singled and scored on a home run by outfielder Chuck Thomas with two outs in the bottom of the ninth to send the game into extra innings, brought home outfielder Ryan Langerhans with his 17th double of the season, giving him nine RBI in 11 games against Tennessee this year.

High Desert (Class A California League) first baseman Brad Nelson drove in the game-winning runs with a two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth inning to lift the Mavericks over San Bernardino, 11-9, on August 27.

Lancaster (Class A California League) first baseman Corey Myers became just the second player in the minors this year to hit safely in 31 straight games, going 2-for-4 in a 3-1 triumph at Rancho Cucamonga on August 28. The Arizona native registered his 141st base hit of the season, a single, in the third inning and crossed home plate after producing a leadoff double in the eighth, giving him eight two-baggers during his streak and 32 overall on the year. Modesto's Brent Gates hit safely in 35 consecutive games from July 6 to August 11 during the 1992 campaign. Gates' 35-game run is tied for fourth among the longest minor-league hitting streaks achieved since 1987.

New Jersey (Class A New York-Penn League) first baseman John Santor set career highs with three home runs and six RBI on August 23 in a 10-9 loss at Mahoning Valley. Santor was leading the league with 57 RBI through August 29.

Potomac (Class A Carolina League) outfielder Johnny Hernandez singled home the game-winning run with one out in the bottom of the ninth inning as the Cannons topped Lynchburg, 1-0, on August 25. Outfielder Skip Schumaker drew a leadoff walk and moved down to second on a sacrifice bunt by third baseman Ramon Araujo. Outfielder Chris Morris singled, putting runners on first and third and shortstop Milko Jaramillo drew a walk, loading the bases for Hernandez, who collected his only hit of the game and gave Potomac its 17th one-run victory of the season.

Rochester (Triple-A International League) shortstop Eddy Garabito drove home the winning run in the bottom of the 13th inning to lift the Red Wings over Buffalo, 4-3, on August 22. With runners on the corners and two outs, Garabito beat out an infield single to score second baseman Brian Roberts. Roberts tied the score at 3-3 in the bottom of the ninth with a pinch-hit, RBI single for Rochester. The next night, Garabito drove in the game-winning run in the bottom of the 12th inning to give the Red Wings a 5-4 victory over Buffalo. With one on and two outs, Garabito, who finished 2-for-4 with a run scored, doubled, bringing home outfielder Larry Bigbie.

Wichita (Double-A Texas League) righthander Ian Ferguson recorded his minor league-leading 18th victory in the Wranglers' 8-2 triumph at Round Rock on August 25. Ferguson scattered three hits and struck out nine batters without issuing a walk over seven scoreless innings. The 23-year-old improved to 18-3 with a 2.46 ERA in 27 starts this season split between Wilmington of the Class A Carolina League (17) and Wichita (10).

Yakima (Class A Northwest League) righthander Sergio Lizarraga tossed eight strong innings to help snap the Bears' 22-game losing skid with an 8-2 victory over Spokane on August 25. The 21-year-old yielded two runs -- one earned -- and four hits with two walks, striking out eight batters to capture the win after dropping his previous five starts. Bakersfield of the Class A California League was the last minor-league club to lose 22 straight, which occurred between August 9 and September 1 of the 1992 campaign.

Minor-league leaders
(Through Aug. 29)
AVERAGE (Minimum 375 TPA): Rick Short, Salt Lake, .353; ON BASE PERCENTAGE: Travis Hafner, Oklahoma, .457; SLUGGING PERCENTAGE: Jason Stokes, Kane County, .645; HITS: Joe Thurston, Las Vegas, 193; HOME RUNS: Ivan Cruz, Memphis, 35; RBI: Brad Nelson, High Desert, 114; STOLEN BASES: Wayne Lydon, Columbus (SAL), 87; DOUBLES: Brad Nelson, High Desert 49; TRIPLES: Jose Reyes, Binghamton, 19; RUNS: Lew Ford, Edmonton, 117; WALKS: Graham Koonce, Midland, 130; STRIKEOUTS: Jorge Soto, Visalia, 188; ERRORS: Julian Benavidez, Hagerstown, 43.

BEST ERA (110 IP): Kenny Nelson, Myrtle Beach, 1.72; WORST ERA (110 IP): George Perez, High Desert, 8.18; WINS: Ian Ferguson, Wichita, 18; LOSSES: Yoel Hernandez, Clearwater, 16; SAVES: Joe Valentine, Birmingham, 36; COMPLETE GAMES: Seung Lee, Clearwater and Julio De Paula, Norwich, 6; GAMES: Dave Hooten, West Tenn and Trever Miller, Louisville, 64; INNINGS PITCHED: Dan Haren, Potomac, 187.2; STRIKEOUTS: Clint Nageotte, San Bernardino, 207.

BEST WINNING PERCENTAGE/CLUB (Full Season): Akron (Indians), .650 (89-48); Stockton (Reds), .642 (88-49); Wilmington (Royals), .632 (86-50).

BEST WINNING PERCENTAGE/CLUB (Short Season): Boise (Cubs), .671 (47-23); Bluefield (Orioles), .662 (45-23); Staten Island (Yankees), .662 (45-23); Gulf Coast Phillies (Phillies), .650 (39-21).

BEST WINNING PERCENTAGE/ORGANIZATION: Pittsburgh Pirates (.570); Cleveland Indians (.569); Los Angeles Dodgers (.558).

Top pitching performances
Auburn (New York-Penn League) righthander Chad Pleiness pitched seven hitless innings (3 BB, 7 SO) in a 3-0 win over Mahoning Valley on August 27. Pleiness went 4-1 and allowed just four runs and 16 hits in 31 1/3 innings over five starts August 6-27, fanning 31 batters and walking 14 over that span.

Beloit (Class A Midwest League) righthander Mike Jones struck out a career-high 11 batters in a 9-3 victory over Peoria on August 27. The 19-year-old, taken 12th overall in the 2001 draft by Milwaukee, yielded two runs and eight hits with two walks over five frames to even his record at 7-7 with a 3.19 ERA in 26 starts. Jones, a native of Corona, California, struck out the side in both the fourth and fifth innings and fanned eight of the final 11 batters he faced to give him 124 strikeouts over 132 2/3 innings pitched this year.

Brooklyn (New York-Penn League) righthander Miguel Pinango tossed his third career shutout to help the Cyclones blank Lowell, 5-0, on August 23. The 19-year-old Venezuelan, who surrendered his only hit of the contest with two outs in the ninth inning, hit a batter and recorded a career-high 10 strikeouts to capture his second victory in as many starts. With his performance, Pinango has gone 18 consecutive innings without allowing an earned run.

Calgary (Pacific Coast League) righthander Jason Secoda recorded the second shutout of his career in the Cannons' 6-0 victory at New Orleans on August 26. Secoda yielded just two hits and a pair of walks with seven strikeouts for his first shutout since July 11, 1999, when he spun a two-hitter with eight strikeouts for Birmingham of the Southern League. He snapped a personal two-game losing skid with his seventh career complete game. The California native improved to 3-2 with a 4.19 ERA in nine starts this season.

El Paso (Texas League) righthander Andrew Good pitched the second complete game of his career in the Diablos' 8-1 triumph over Arkansas on August 27. Good yielded a run and scattered four hits with two walks and five strikeouts for the win.

Macon (Class A South Atlantic League) righthander Matt Wright spun eight solid innings to help down Asheville, 5-1, on August 23. The 6-4, 220-pound Texan yielded one run, scattered three hits, issued a walk and struck out three batters. The 20-year-old retired 15 of the first 16 batters. Five nights later, Wright spun seven-plus solid innings in a 5-1 triumph at Columbus, improving to 10-1 since June 15. He yielded one run, scattered four hits and issued one walk, striking out nine for the fifth time this season, raising his overall record to 10-8 with a 3.18 ERA in 152 2/3 innings pitched. Wright retired 18 straight batters between the second and eighth frames en route to the win. He has an impressive 1.64 ERA over his last 15 appearances, including 14 starts.

Nashville (Pacific Coast League) lefthander Kevin Tolar spun his first-ever shutout to help the Sounds sweep a doubleheader by defeating Memphis, 5-0, on August 23. Tolar, who began his pro career in 1989, allowed just one hit, hit a batter, issued two walks and struck out seven to record his first professional complete game since 1992. Tolar did not allow a run in any of his three outings August 18-27 (12 IP, 5 H, 5 BB, 14 SO), going 1-0 during that stretch.

Norwich (Class AA Eastern League) righthander Julio De Paula recorded his league-leading sixth complete game in the Navigators' 11-2 triumph at Binghamton on August 25. De Paula, who won three straight complete games between June 22-July 4, allowed two runs and scattered six hits with six strikeouts and no walks, improving to 6-0 with a 2.07. He has won his last five starts and earned Player of the Week honors.

Salt Lake (Pacific Coast League) righthander Chris Bootcheck recorded his first career shutout in the Stingers' 8-0 triumph at Portland on August 25. Bootcheck yielded just three hits with a walk and four strikeouts. The 23-year-old, who was selected 20th overall by the Angels in the 2001 draft, faced one batter over the minimum through 6 1/3 innings. He retired 15 in row between the second and seventh frames.

Streaking
Columbus (South Atlantic League) shortstop Ivan Ochoa hit safely in 14 straight games (20-41, 1 3B, 5 RBI, 5 SB) August 6-25, raising his average from .188 to .221.

Delmarva (South Atlantic League) lefthander Rommie Lewis extended his scoreless streak to 27 2/3 innings as the Shorebirds blanked Kannapolis, 2-0, on August 27. The 19-year-old issued a leadoff walk in the ninth but struck out the next two batters before surrendering a base hit. With the winning run at home plate, Lewis fanned a pinch-hitter to earn his 24th save and his sixth in as many appearances. A fourth-round pick by the Orioles last year, Lewis has a 1.76 ERA and 37 strikeouts in 30 2/3 frames over 24 road appearances.

Durham (International League) righthander Lance Carter won his seventh straight start as the Bulls edged Norfolk, 2-1, in the first game of a doubleheader. Carter yielded a run and scattered seven hits with a walk and six strikeouts in a seven-inning complete game. The 27-year-old, who retired seven in row between the second and fourth frames, sparked his winning streak with a four-hit shutout on July 27. The Florida native has a 1.57 ERA over his last 51 1/3 innings with 37 strikeouts and just four walks.

Huntsville (Double-A Southern League) outfielder Ryan Knox had his streak of 39 consecutive games without driving in a run snapped on August 23 when he singled home a run in the fourth inning of the Stars' 11-2 win over Carolina.

Lake Elsinore (Class A California League) first baseman Jon Knott reached base safely by hit or walk in 26 consecutive games July 31-August 28 (35-97, 8 2B, 2 3B, 3 HR, 20 RBI, 1 SB).

Lancaster (California League) righthander Edgar Gonzalez won his seventh straight start with seven-plus strong innings for Lancaster in a 3-1 victory over Rancho Cucamonga on August 27. Gonzalez allowed a run and six hits, striking out four and walking one, in 7 1/3 innings to improve to 3-0 with a 0.82 ERA in three outings since a promotion from the Class A Midwest League.

Salem (Class A Carolina League) outfielder Jorge Piedra went 7-for-9 with three homers and seven RBI in consecutive games August 26-27, capping a seven-game stretch where he hit .571 with six homers and 16 RBI August 21-27. Piedra hit a pair of home runs during a 5-4 loss to the Keys on August 23.

San Antonio (Texas League) righthander Aaron Looper went 4-0 with a 0.45 ERA in 25 games July 7-August 25 (40 1/3 IP, 20 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 8 BB, 34 SO).

Staten Island (New York-Penn League) lefthander Eric Reynolds went 6-0 with a 0.76 ERA in 13 games June 23-August 26 (35 2/3 IP, 20 H, 6 R, 3 ER, 10 BB, 41 SO).

Lowlights
Columbus (International League) righthander Jay Tessmer, who did not allow a run in six games August 9-21, was pounded for six runs and six hits in just 2/3 of an innings of work as the Clippers suffered an 11-8 loss to Toledo on August 24.

Iowa (Pacific Coast League) righthander Chris Gissell went 0-6 with a 9.00 ERA in seven games July 23-August 23 (34 IP, 51 H, 35 R, 34 ER, 18 BB, 28 SO).

Shreveport (Texas League) lefthander Chris Jones went 0-6 with a 5.66 ERA in 24 games June 28-August 28 (68 1/3 IP, 74 H, 50 R, 43 ER, 30 BB, 46 SO).