51s starter keeps Salt Lake Bees off balance

SALT LAKE CITY — The Salt Lake Bees dropped their second straight game to the Las Vegas 51s Friday night in a 5-3 loss.

The game was over just as quickly as it began.

Within the first pitches of the night, Las Vegas jumped out to an early 3-0lead in the top of the first inning.

Las Vegas starter Brad Mills kept the Bees' hitters guessing all night long.

"Mill's is one of the top 10 guys in the league pitching wise for a reason," Bees manager Keith Johnson said. "He did a good job today mixing up speeds, keeping off balance, and we couldn't really put anything together."

The Bees looked to be starting a comeback in the second inning as Efren Navarre brought a sour crowd back to life with a home run into right field.

In the fifth inning the Bees really showed some talent gaining the most hits of the night and loading the bases twice.

On an outright lucky turn of events, Gil Velazquez hit a high line drive to second base, but as the baseman dropped on the downward motion of tagging the runner, he lost the ball giving the Bees a score and Velazquez a base hit.

Next, Alexi Amarista was hit in the elbow at the plate as well bringing the Bees within two runs of Las Vegas.

Throughout the first six innings, Tyler Chatwood was up and down with his pitches — grounding out at the plate or flying wide — but he managed to come up big in the sixth inning.

"I thought (Chatwood) did OK," Johnson said. "Little inconsistent early on, but I thought the sixth inning he did a great job being more consistent with his pitches."

Chatwood said he felt he made the most of his fourth start as a member of the Bees.

"I felt good tonight," Chatwood said. "I threw the ball well throwing some good pitches I've been working on, and I felt like I competed throughout the night."

Chatwood kept Salt Lake in the game, but Las Vegas' relief pitchers retired the Bees' final seven batters.

"It's part of the game," said Johnson. "We tried our best to execute, but their pitchers made their pitches and got themselves out of a jam."

Cowley leads Orem

OREM — Owlz starter Ryan Cowley didn't allow a single run, only two hits and fanned five batters in a little over five innings of work to earn his fist win of the season. Orem held on for the 4-3 victory.

MISSOULA 13, OGDEN 7: At Ogden, Missoula came out swinging, led by Jonathan Griffin, who went 3-for-6 at the plate, including two homers.