Stingers fall but get glimpse of playoff-style atmosphere

It's fairly obvious why the Salt Lake Stingers and Tacoma Rainiers are vying for the lead in the PCL Northern Division.

These are two good Triple-A teams, and though it's only June, they're taking these games seriously.

"This is great," Salt Lake manager Dino Ebel said after his team lost 6-4 for the second night in a row to Tacoma. "This is like pennant fever here, and it's midseason."

The Rainiers' victory at Franklin Covey Field cut the Stingers' division lead to a half-game, but Ebel thinks the head-to-head battle is good experience for his young players.

"Any time you can get like a playoff atmosphere, it's awesome," he said.

The Stingers have lost two of three in this series, and Ebel said it's important they close out strong against Tacoma tonight.

"We need this one bad," he said.

As with Sunday's game, this was a seesaw affair. Salt Lake took the early lead with a bit of good fortune; Jeff Mathis' liner to left sailed directly over the head of Tacoma left fielder Shin-Soo Choo, who lost it in the sun. Mathis ended up with a double, advanced to third on a groundout and scored when the throw to first on Nick Gorneault's groundball pulled the first baseman off the bag.

Tacoma tied the score in the third on three straight singles, then took a 2-1 lead in the fourth on a solo homer by Greg Dobbs.

In the bottom of the fourth, Salt Lake retook the lead, as Casey Kotchman singled and Brian Gordon drilled a line-drive homer just over the fence in the rightfield corner.

That lead didn't last long either, however, as Tacoma's leadoff hitter in the fifth, Jamal Strong, pounded a triple into the leftfield gap. He scored on a sacrifice fly by Abraham Nunez.

The Rainiers moved in front 5-3 in the sixth when, with two on, Yuniesky Betancourt tripled.

The Stingers narrowed that lead to one in the seventh when David Matranga tripled to right-center with two outs. He scored on a single by Adam Pavkovich.

Tacoma added an insurance run in the eighth, and the Stingers were done scoring, though they threatened in that frame. But Tacoma closer Masao Kida came in with two runners on and stifled that rally attempt, then sailed through the ninth for his 12th save.