Oeltjen's seven RBIs power Tucson

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Oeltjen's seven RBIs power Tucson
08/18/2008 1:35 AM ET
By Danny Wild / Special to MLB.com

Back in March, Trent Oeltjen chose a chance at the Majors over another shot at Olympic glory back. A career night at the plate has made that choice a little less bittersweet.
Oeltjen went 4-for-6 with two triples and a career-high seven RBIs on Sunday to power the Tucson Sidewinders to a 17-5 triumph over the Portland Beavers at Tucson Electric Park.
"I wish I was over there," Oeltjen said of his Australian countrymen competing in Beijing. "I was in big league camp with the Diamondbacks at the time of Olympic qualifying. It was just bad timing."
The 2004 Olympian momentarily put aside his mixed feelings when he singled in the second inning, lined an RBI triple in the sixth, hit a two-run single in the seventh and highlighted a five-run eighth with a bases-loaded triple.
"I was just in a good situation, I had guys on base," Oeltjen said of his final at-bat. "I was lucky enough to drive the ball into the gap."
It was the Aussie's biggest game since he tripled twice and drove in five runs on July 15, 2006 for Double-A New Britain.
"It was a great game, everyone came through," he said. "Everyone was swinging the bat well, so that was real good for the team."
The 25-year-old has been hot all summer. He batted .411 in 25 games in July and extended his eight-game hitting streak Sunday with his first four-hit performance of the season. He's 14-for-36 with 15 RBIs since Aug. 8.
"I just try to be consistent," he said. "I try to have good at-bats, put good swings on the ball and keep it simple."
Oeltjen has RBIs in six straight games and eight of the last nine. Sunday marked the 11th time he's recorded at least three hits this season.
"Lately, I've been feeling pretty good and confident," he said. "I'm just sticking to the game plan."
Oeltjen also had a 14-game streak from July 13-30.
"I don't know [about streaks] until the radio guys tell me about it, I don't pay any attention to it," he said.
The big performance was just another in a recent trend he's established against the Beavers. Oeltjen was hitless in his first 10 at-bats vs. Portland but is 14-for-30 against the Padres affiliate since then.
"Consistent playing time has helped out at lot this season," he said. "I've been able to kind of relax and get used to playing every day."
The Minor League success has come with a price. Oeltjen, who won a silver medal in Athens in 2004, skipped the Australian Olympic qualifying camp in March to compete for a spot in Arizona. Now he can only watch his former teammates on TV as they swing for gold in China.
"This year was sort of unlucky timing," he said. "Everyone was trying to make the team, but no one left their big league camps. We sent over a younger team this season. It was a shame [we couldn't all go]."
Oeltjen said he's finally realizing what a special opportunity he had four years ago.
"It was unreal to get up on the podium for your country," he said. "It's something you dream about as a kid, it was a lot of fun. It's a special feeling to be a part of something like that."
Oeltjen signed with Minnesota as a non-drafted free agent in 2001 and has climbed his way up from the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League to Triple-A. He was an All-Star Futures Game selection in 2006 after playing in the World Baseball Classic.
Oeltjen has nearly twice as many career triples (45) as he has homers (23). He had 10 triples this season, tying the career high he established in 2006 with New Britain.
Despite skipping the Olympics, Oeltjen is glad he got a taste of the Majors this spring.
"It was my first time, it was an awesome experience," he said. "To see the guys you watched on TV, I just tried to learn a lot."
Oeltjen is hoping his decision to stay in the United States will pay off next month.
"I'm just trying to finish strong," he said. "There's only so much you can control. "[Getting called up] would be nice if it happens and I'm going to give myself the best shot." Tim Raines went 5-for-6 and fell a homer shy of the cycle and rehabbing Diamondbacks outfielder Justin Upton went 2-for-6 with a two-run homer for Tucson. Josh Whitesell and Jesus Merchan each had three RBIs and Don Kelly chipped in four singles to help the Sidewinders (54-71) collect 22 hits and match a season high in 17 runs.
Juan Gutierrez (4-10) allowed three runs on five hits over five innings to pick up the win.
Former first-round pick Cesar Ramos (9-9) surrendered six runs -- four earned -- on 11 hits over five innings for Portland (66-61). The Beavers totaled nine hits but were 1-for-7 with runners in scoring position.
This story was not subject to the approval of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues or its clubs.