From Deseret News archives:
Hot Stingers split two with Cubs
Iowa blasts Salt Lake in the first game of twinbill
The Cubs took advantage of Stinger starter Steve Green, shelling him for 15 hits to take a 10-4 victory in the first game, but Salt Lake bounced back in the nightcap 8-3 thanks to Brian Gordon's three-run double in the third.
For Stingers manager Mike Brumley the split was a satisfying outing. "The tempo always gets set with your starting pitcher and Steve got behind in that first game a little bit, but I thought Adam (Dunn) came back and pitched out of a couple of jams." Dunn did not figure in the decision, but kept the Cubs off balance in the four innings he worked.
The Cubs broke Game 1 open with a six-run, seven-hit third inning that effectively sealed the Stingers' fate. Leading 2-1, five Cubs reached base before the Stingers could record an out. For Green the loss was his seventh in a row and he now leads the PCL with 14, one shy of the Salt Lake club record
Iowa's Russ Johnson doubled and scored on Jason DuBois' single to right. Bill Selby followed with a single. Calvin Murray also singled but Stingers' right fielder Shane Halter mishandled the ball, DuBois scored on the error and Selby advanced to third and Murray took second. The Cubs led 4-1 at that point. The Cubs' Gookie Dawkins singled home Selby, and Murray came home when David Kelton reached on a fielder's choice. Kelton stole second, Fernando Lunar walked and both scored later, giving the Cubs an 8-1 lead.
Salt Lake cut the lead to 8-2 in the bottom of the inning when Adam Riggs homered. After a scoreless fourth, Iowa added a run in the fifth when Johnson drove in Trenidad Hubbard. In the bottom of the inning, the Stingers added a pair of runs on three consecutive doubles by Zach Sorensen, Riggs and Casey Kotchman to cut the lead to 9-4, but Salt Lake could get no closer.
Iowa scored in the seventh when Richard Lewis hit a triple with two outs and came home on Johnson's fifth straight hit for the final 10-4 score.
The second game was almost a mirror opposite with the Stingers knocking out Iowa starter Jason Szuminski after just two innings. Trailing 0-1 in the third, the Stingers scored five runs, including Gordon's three-run double. Salt Lake added runs in the fourth and fifth innings on Riggs' second homer of the night and an RBI double by Alex Pelaez.
Iowa tacked on two runs in the sixth and threatend again in the seventh but Stingers closer Dusty Bergman retired three of the four batters he faced to preserve the win.
NOTES: Attendance at Tuesday's doubleheader was 5,660 . . . Jeff DaVanon left Salt Lake on Wednesday to rejoin the Angels following his rehab assignment . . . LHP Corey Lee was sent to AA-Arkansas after his Tuesday start . . . RHP Ben Weber was activated from the DL and pitched a perfect sixth inning striking out two.
E-mail: jringwood@desnews.com
