Strong outing helps Cecil post first victory with 51s

Having won twice in the majors this season, Las Vegas left-hander Brett Cecil entered Thursday's game against Portland at Cashman Field in search of his first victory of the year for the 51s.

Thanks in large part to his stellar start -- in which he held the Beavers to one run and three hits in six innings -- Cecil secured his first win for Las Vegas, which nearly squandered an 8-1 lead but held on to win, 8-6.

Portland (27-28) scored five runs in the ninth and had the tying runs on base with one out, but 51s closer Jeremy Accardo struck out Craig Stansberry and got Kyle Blanks to ground out to third to end the game.

Las Vegas (21-33), which won for just the third time in 11 games, rallied for five runs in the sixth to erase a 1-0 deficit and added three in the eighth to go up 8-1.

"We came back and we battled," said 51s first baseman Randy Ruiz, who drilled a two-run double in the sixth to give Las Vegas a 2-1 lead. "It's still early in the season. We've got to start somewhere."

Cecil, the Toronto Blue Jays' No. 2 prospect, walked two and struck out five to improve to 1-3 for the 51s and lower his ERA from 6.83 to 5.91.

"I felt good. It was my best start down here, by far," the soft-spoken Cecil said. "I missed a little bit here and there but got right back in the groove and kept throwing strikes."

Cecil, who went 2-1 with a 4.38 ERA in his first stint in the majors this season, has allowed three earned runs or fewer in his last four starts for Las Vegas.

"It's just important for me to keep doing what I'm doing: pitching well, stay within myself, throw strikes, cut down on walks and keep the team in the game," he said. "The ball feels better coming out of my hands."

Cecil, who departed after throwing 103 pitches, 59 for strikes, held Portland scoreless until the sixth, when Brett Dowdy walked to open the inning and scored on an RBI single by Stansberry.

After Ruiz gave Las Vegas the lead in the bottom of the sixth, the 51s scored three more runs with two outs. J.P. Arencibia (2-for-3) and Kyle Phillips (2-for-4) came through with RBI singles and Angel Sanchez added an RBI double to give Las Vegas a 5-1 lead.

The 51s scored three runs in the eighth, on an RBI double by Jason Lane (2-for-3) and RBI singles by Phillips and Aaron Mathews (3-for-4).

• NOTES -- 51s outfielder Travis Snider was placed on the seven-day disabled list, retroactive to Tuesday, and was sent to Toronto's spring training facility in Dunedin, Fla., to rehabilitate his sore lower back. ... Las Vegas High School sophomore catcher Bryce Harper will throw out the ceremonial first pitch today at Cashman Field before the 51s' game against the Beavers. Harper, 16, is featured on the cover of the June 8 edition of Sports Illustrated. ... Beavers shortstop Sean Kazmar, a former standout at Las Vegas High School and College of Southern Nevada, went 1-for-4 to lift his average to .190.

Contact reporter Todd Dewey at tdewey@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0354.