Tacoma tops Salt Lake with homer in 10th

Greg Jacobs' home run in the 10th gave Tacoma a hard-fought 6-5 win Sunday night over Salt Lake after the Stingers battled back from a 5-3 deficit to send the game into extra innings.

In a game of squandered opportunities for both teams, the Rainiers managed to eke out the win in front of the Stingers' largest crowd of the season at Franklin Covey Field, 16,121 fans who showed up for the Independence Day fireworks.

"It was a heckuva game," Stingers manager Mike Brumley said. "We're playing a good team and I thought we battled hard, hitting the ball well at times."

It didn't take long for Tacoma long to get on the board. Outfielder Elpidio Guzman hit Jason Middlebrook's second pitch out of the park for a 1-0 lead. Jeremy Reed followed two batters later with a double, moved to third on Bucky Jacobsen's single and came home on a single by catcher Jim Horner for a 2-0 advantage.

The Stingers responded in the bottom half of the inning, putting up three runs on three hits, including an RBI double by Dallas McPherson and a two-run home run by Adam Riggs as Salt Lake went ahead 3-2.

In the third inning the Rainers regained the lead 4-3, Jacobsen walked, reached third on a double by big leaguer Raul Ibanez, on a rehab assignment from Seattle. After Middlebrook drilled Horner with a pitch, the Stingers nearly got out of the inning when Jacobs hit a hard shot to first base and Riggs gunned down Jacobsen at home. But with a full count, Ugueto hit a liner to right scoring Ibanez and Horner, but Jacobs was thrown out trying to take third.

The Rainiers added another run in the fourth when Santiago bunted his way aboard when the Stingers' second baseman couldn't cover first. He advanced to second when Guzman reached on an infield hit and reached third on a wild pitch and scored on Reed's ground out to second base.

In the bottom of the seventh, Stingers designated hitter Alex Pelaez doubled to begin the inning, took third on a wild pitch and scored on Gary Johnson's groundout to second base.

With two out in the Tacoma ninth, Mickey Lopez singled up the middle and reached second base when Reed's hard grounder was mishandled by McPherson. Reliver Matt Hensley then hit Jacobsen to load the bases. Hensley then worked the count to 2-2 before striking out Ibanez to get out of the inning.

Riggs led off the Stingers half of the inning with a single to left. He took second on Gordon's sacrifice bunt and beat the throw to home when Pelaez singled to right. Johnson then grounded into a 6-4-3 double play — the only one of the night — to end the Stingers' scoring.

That set up the 10th and Jacobs' heroics. Tacoma reliever George Sherill worked a 1-2-3 inning to end the game.

NOTES: Ibanez, Tacoma's DH was 1-for-5 on the night with a run scored. The teams meet again tonight, Tuesday and Wednesday at 7 before Salt Lake heads to Las Vegas for four games before the all-star break.

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E-mail: jringwood@desnews.com