Sidewinders rout Stingers

Tucson tagged Salt Lake reliever Greg Jones for six runs in the seventh inning to turn what had been a close game into a 7-2 Sidewinders victory over the Stingers Tuesday night at Franklin Covey Field.

Craig Ansman and Doug DeVore both launched two-run home runs to off Jones to punctuate the frame for Tucson.

"We had the big innings last night (in a 12-2 win), they had it tonight," Stingers manager Mike Brumley said. "It happened quick."

Some of Salt Lake's players Tuesday had one foot out the door, en route to joining the Anaheim Angels in a pennant race in the American League West.

Andres Galarraga, Shane Halter and Casey Kotchman, who started his professional career with the Provo Angels, are all going up to Anaheim. Galarraga is two homers shy of joining the 400 club in a long major-league career.

Outfielder Nick Gornault and utility infielder Casey Smith, who spent some time in Salt Lake earlier, will join the Stingers for their final games of the PCL season. The Stingers have two more games at home, today and Thursday, before ending with four games at Las Vegas.

The early going of Tuesday's game featured some quality starts from unexpected sources for both Salt Lake and Tucson.

Starting pitchers Steve Green and Casey Daigle came into the game with a combined record of 7-26. Green was 5-17 (8.04 ERA) for Salt Lake and holds the franchise single-season record for most losses; Daigle was 2-9 (7.58 ERA).

Not many fans expected a pitching duel between the two, but there it was anyway, Green leading 2-1 after six innings.

In one of his best performances of the year, Green notched seven strikeouts through six innings, allowing just one earned run.

"Great game by Steve," Brumley said. "We had some hits out there, we just couldn't string it together."

Green walked the first two Sidewinders and gave up an RBI single to Josh Kroeger, then shut down Tucson for the next five innings.

Daigle pitched solidly as well. Galarraga tied it at 1-1 in the first for Salt Lake with a sacrifice fly. Kotchman's RBI single in the third gave the Stingers the lead, but Daigle held them from there.

Tucson got the added benefit of giving Daigle his third win with the offensive attack in the seventh.

Salt Lake got seven hits off Daigle in six innings.

NOTES: It wasn't all positive for Green Tuesday despite a strong outing. His four walks pushed him into the franchise lead for bases on balls in a season with 83 . . . Another dubious record is approaching for Brian Gordon, who will tie the franchise record for strikeouts in a season the next time he fans.

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E-mail: RBurton@desnews.com