This is a press release courtesy of the Portland Beavers

Chip Ambres hit a go-ahead, two-run single against his former team, and the Portland Beavers took charge in the late innings to beat the New Orleans Zephyrs 6-4 Friday night at PGE Park.

Brian Myrow drove in two runs, Craig Stansberry hit a pinch-hit, two-run homer, and Josh Geer turned in a quality start for the Beavers, who have won five of their last six games on the heels of a recent six-game losing streak.

Trailing 3-1 going into the bottom of the seventh, the Beavers (12-14) loaded the bases and got an RBI groundout from Myrow. Ambres, who spent the majority of the 2007 season with New Orleans, then laced a two-out single up the middle off Willie Collazo to give Portland the lead.

Stansberry’s two-run homer off Collazo in the eighth made it a three-run advantage, as the Beavers improved to 4-1 on their current homestand.

The Zephyrs, who came into the game with the second-best ERA in the league, got a strong start for Ruddy Lugo and hits from nine different players.

Geer turned in his fourth start of six or more innings for Portland but didn’t factor in the decision after holding the Zephyrs to a run and striking out five while scattering seven hits in six frames.

Both starters kept things tight over the first six innings. The teams swapped single runs before Fernando Tatis struck for a two-run single with two outs in the top of the seventh to give New Orleans (16-12) a 3-1 lead.

Despite allowing two runs in the seventh, Mike Adams (2-1) was credited with the win for the Beavers. Jared Wells walked in a run in the ninth but held on for his fourth save of the year.

Lugo drove in the first run of his 10-year professional career in the fifth, breaking a scoreless tie with a single up the middle that scored Mike Nickeas, who reached on a ground-rule double with two outs.

Lugo pitched scoreless ball through the fifth and gave up one run, three hits and three walks while striking out four in his six innings of work.

Myrow’s sac fly plated Jody Gerut from third to tie it an inning later, and the Beavers, who came into the game batting .188 with runners in scoring position and two outs, loaded the bases with a chance at taking the lead at the time, but Lugo struck out Marshall McDougall to keep things knotted at 1-1.

Collazo (1-1) took the loss for the Zephyrs, who are 2-3 on their swing through the Pacific Northwest.

The series continues Saturday night at 7:05 p.m. Saturday’s game will be televised live on FSN.

NOTES: Portland native and former Beaver Brady Clark joined the Zephyrs before the game after being designated for assignment by the Mets, New Orleans’ parent club, on April 24 … Matt Antonelli walked in the third inning and has reached base in 21 of his 22 games … Portland gained on a game on division-leading Salt Lake, which lost its third game of the year Friday night.