Buzz add another to win streak

Just when it appeared all hope was lost, the Salt Lake Buzz are showing signs of life.

"I feel pretty good about the boys right now," Buzz manager Phil Roof said after Thursday's 7-1 victory over Edmonton at Franklin Covey Field. "If we can get back to .500, then we'll go from there."High hopes for a team, affiliated with the struggling Minnesota Twins, that one week ago was 10 games under the dip in the wake of releases to Chad Rupp (the franchise's career home-run leader) and Frank Rodriguez (the only Buzz pitcher ever to throw a no-hitter).

Then came a pair of wins and a couple of rainouts in Calgary. For an encore, a successful opening to a four-game homestand. In the midst of Salt Lake's modest three-game winning streak sat a season-high string of 16 consecutive shutout innings -- a noteworthy accomplishment for any pitching staff, let alone one with the Pacific Coast League's highest combined ERA.

"We've struggled as a pitching group," said starter Mark Redman, who threw a two-hit shutout in seven innings Thursday. "Our job is to throw strikes."

Despite their recent success, the Buzz are still mired in the Southern Division cellar with a 22-29 record. Salt Lake, plain and simply, still has quite a mountain to climb.

"We need to string a couple of games like this together," said Roof. "I'm hoping (this is the start of something). You would think this is the time."

Timing was pivotal against Edmonton.

Locked in a scoreless tie, Salt Lake picked an opportune time to get to knuckleballer Paul Morse. The Buzz chased the Trappers' starter from the game in the fourth inning when they sent 12 batters to the plate and scored six runs. The outburst began with a two-run homer by Brian Buchanan and ended with a score on a passed ball. In-between, Dan Cey (triple), Mike Moriarty (single) and David Ortiz (single) each drove in runs.

"It was a nice little rally there," Roof said before praising the efforts of his starter. Redman, he continued, gave his best performance of the season by getting ahead of batters, changing speeds well and locating his pitches.

"I just wanted to set the tempo," said the left-hander, who upped his record to 2-4.

Leading 6-0 in the seventh, Chris Latham smacked an RBI double to increase the Buzz advantage even more. Edmonton's lone run came off a throwing error in the ninth.

Salt Lake's four-game homestand with the Anaheim Angels farmhands continues through Sunday. Buzz LHP Travis Baptist (1-2, 6.66 ERA) and Trappers RHP Lou Pote (4-3, 3.96 ERA) are the scheduled starters Friday at 7 p.m.

BEE LINES: The attendance was 5,790 . . . Buzz games rained out in Calgary Tuesday and Wednesday will be made up as part of doubleheaders when the Cannons visit Salt Lake in August . . . For the second time in less than a month, catcher A.J. Pierzynski has been called up by the Minnesota Twins.

He'll once again be replaced on the Buzz roster by Brandon Marsters (Class A Fort Myers).