Let it Bee! Salt Lake Bees rallies past Portland

SALT LAKE CITY — On "Beatles Night" at Spring Mobile Ballpark on Thursday, the Salt Lake Bees got a little help from their friends — the Portland Beavers — en route to a 5-4 victory.

Portland committed three official errors on the night and made a couple of other miscues that allowed the Bees to rally from a four-run deficit and earn their sixth consecutive victory.

Salt Lake improved to 54-51 with the win, its 10th in its last dozen games. The Bees still have some work to do to climb back in to the top of the PCL's Pacific Northern Division standings, however, as they entered the night six games behind first-place Tacoma, which played a late game at Fresno on Thursday.

"We are having a good rally right now," said Bees shortstop Luis Figueroa, who had a big, two-run double to give Salt Lake the lead in the bottom of the seventh. "We are playing in a positive way. Even if we get down at the beginning of the game, I know we will score and I think we will win. The team is very excited and the chemistry (is good)."

Salt Lake trailed 4-0 when the crowd — led by former Utah Jazz coach Frank Layden — sang "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" during the seventh inning stretch.

But the Bees scored five runs in their half of the seventh aided by a throwing error by Portland shortstop Lance Zawakski with the bases loaded on what could have been an inning-ending double play. Figueroa's single up the middle scored a pair of runs and capped the rally, giving the Bees a 5-4 advantage.

Relievers Gabe DeHoyos and Matt Palmer each pitched a scoreless inning to save the game for Salt Lake.

"Now we've got to stay on a roll — especially since Tacoma is not cooperating (by losing very often)," Bees manager Bobby Mitchell said. "We need to take care of what we can and see what happens. We are six games back with a lot of games to play, so who knows? Nobody in that locker room thinks we are out of it. They are all playing well and with a lot of energy."

Bees starter Fernando Rodriguez had success against eight of the nine Portland batters. But Beavers first baseman Craig Cooper had Rodriguez's number, hitting a pair of home runs and driving in four runs. Still, Rodriguez earned his third win of the season by giving up just six hits in seven innings.

Figueroa, who started the year with Las Vegas after playing last season for the Bees, has now driven in 55 runs in the PCL this year — a personal best for a season. He said a bruise on his side after getting hit by a pitch on Wednesday was "really painful" during Thursday's game, but that wasn't nearly enough for him to miss the action.

"The only way I would come out of a game is if I break a bone," said Figueroa, who also made a couple of outstanding defensive plays.

The Bees conclude an eight-game homestand tonight. Then it will be off to Portland for five games in four days.

BEES WAX: Bees pitcher Trevor Bell was recalled by the parent Los Angeles Angels. It's Bell's third trip to Anaheim this season. Meanwhile, Bees pitcher Daniel Cabrera was activated off the disabled list (right triceps tendinitis) and will start Saturday. ... Mark Trumbo went 2-for-4 to extend his home hitting streak to 14 games. It's the longest home streak by a Bee this season. ... Attendance on Thursday night was 7,324.

e-mail: lojo@desnews.com