Salt Lake Bees helped by controversial call

SALT LAKE CITY — Salt Lake Bees slugger Mark Trumbo has hit a franchise-record 35 home runs this season but his most recent one was perhaps his longest. It was certainly his most controversial homer of the year.

It came during the Bees' 8-7 win over the Fresno Grizzlies on Wednesday night at Spring Mobile Ballpark.

Trumbo's towering blast that went an estimated 470 feet was right down the left-field line, well above the foul pole. Third base umpire Mike Lusky ruled that it was foul. Trumbo and Bees manager/third-base coach Bobby Mitchell quickly objected and then called for an appeal and all three umpires conferred. Despite no instant replay at the triple-A level, the call was reversed after a nearly three-minute delay, giving Trumbo a two-run homer and the Bees a 6-3 lead.

The changed call caused Fresno manager Steve Decker to bolt out of the dugout to argue, but to no avail.

"I just wanted to make sure," said Trumbo. "If (the umpires) would have all gotten together and said it was foul, I would have been OK with that. ... To be honest, I was a little surprise (the call was overturned), but I knew that the home plate ump got a great view of it and that if he thought that it was fair that he would step up and call it that way."

Mitchell, for his part, had no doubt that the home run was legit.

"For me it clear that it was fair," said Mitchell. "It wasn't even marginal."

The victory improves the Bees to 70-69. Combined with Tacoma's home loss against Colorado Springs, Salt Lake is now just 21/2 games behind the Rainiers in the PCL's Pacific North Division. Still, with only five games remaining in the regular season, the Bees have their work cut out for them.

"We're gaining momentum and these type of games give you confidence," said Mitchell of his team's current three-game winning streak. "We just need to take care of what we need to do on the field and we'll see what happens."

The Bees led 7-4 after six innings, but the Grizzlies rallied to knot the game at 7-7 in the eighth. But in the bottom of the ninth Trumbo led off with a walk, advanced to second on a single by Cory Aldridge and then scored on a single by Terry Evans to give Salt Lake the victory.

The final game of the four-game set will be tonight. Matt Palmer (2-3, 2.90 ERA) will start for the Bees against Fresno lefty Matt Yourkin (7-8, 4.36.).

e-mail: lojo@desnews.com