3rd time not so charming for Bees

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — This time there was no dramatic comeback for the Salt Lake Bees.

The Sacramento River Cats, after suffering through back-to-back heart-breaking losses in the Bees' final at bats in Salt Lake City, staved off elimination in the PCL Pacific Conference playoffs with a 7-4 home victory late Friday.

Salt Lake still leads the best-of-five series 2-1, however. Game 4 is set for tonight at Sacramento's Raley Field. The deciding fifth game, if necessary, will be Sunday afternoon at the River Cats' ballpark.

The Bees trailed by three entering the ninth inning — and they went down fairly quietly. Tommy Murphy hit a one-out double, but was stranded there.

The Bees stranded nine baserunners — to just five for Sacramento.

"We had our chances," Bees manager Brian Harper said. "We just didn't come through."

Salt Lake actually got off to a good start on Friday night. Bees centerfielder Tommy Murphy, who had just four home runs all regular season, pounded a two-run shot to right-center to give the Bees a 2-1 lead in the third inning. Salt Lake increased the lead in the fourth with an RBI single by second baseman Adam Pavkovich.

But the River Cats regained the lead in their half of the fourth against Bees starter Henry Bonilla. Sacramento scored on a solo homer by Jorge Piedra and then added two more when Bees third baseman Matt Brown committed a two-out, bases-loaded throwing error, giving the River Cats a 4-3 lead.

"I just (messed) up," said Brown, who actually used a much harsher word. "It was just a bad throw."

Sacramento padded its lead in the fifth with a solo homer by Daric Barton, his third bomb of the series.

The Bees, meanwhile, loaded the bases with just one out in the sixth, but came away empty-handed when catcher Tim Duff grounded into a double play.

Sacramento took advantage of its opportunities, scoring a pair of runs in their half of the sixth on a two-run homer by Danny Putnam, giving them a 7-3 advantage.

While the River Cats' bullpen struggled late in the two games against the Bees in Salt Lake, they came through on Friday. The Bees scored one run in the eighth on an RBI double by Brown, but Sacramento reliever Julio Manon was able to pitch out of the jam with back-to-back strikeouts.

The River Cats will send RHP Kazuhito Tadano (5-5, 5.20 ERA) to the plate tonight against Salt Lake lefty Jonathan Rouwenhorst (10-10, 4.96).