Salt Lake Bees move into division lead

The Colorado Springs Sky Sox entered Spring Mobile Stadium on Monday alone atop their Pacific Coast League division standings.

But they left the ballpark Monday night in second place after the Salt Lake Bees beat them 8-5.

Of course, the Sox need not panic. They will have 15 more chances during the next couple of months — starting with the second game of their three-game series tonight — to beat the Bees.

And since Salt Lake's 37-28 record is just one-half a game better than Colorado Springs' 36-28 mark, the two franchises figure to be battling all summer long for the top spot in the PCL's Pacific North Division.

"It's an interesting series for us to see where we stand because we've been No. 1 and 2 pretty much all year," said Bees manager Bobby Mitchell. "We haven't seen them all season long, but now we get a chance to see how good they are and see how we can compete with them."

The Bees and the Sky Sox have already traded the division lead several times, but they had yet to square off through the first 64 games. Now they'll be seeing plenty of each other in the coming weeks. In July, for instance, the two teams have eight games against each other with five more in August.

Monday's game featured a bit of everything — from a tape-measure grand slam home run to a hitter going all the way around the bases on a bunt, little-league style.

The Sky Sox actually staked an early 3-1 lead, but Bees third baseman Brandon Wood made sure that wouldn't last. With the bases loaded in the bottom of the third, Wood, the all-time home run leader in Bees history, pounded the first pitch he saw nearly to the sidewalk above the left-field berm, giving the Bees a 5-3 advantage.

Salt Lake never trailed again.

But the most interesting play of the night came in the following inning. With right fielder Terry Evans on third base, Bees center fielder Brad Coon laid down a nice bunt on the right side of the infield. Sky Sox pitcher Jason Hirsh, in an ill-fated, desperate attempt to get the speedy Coon out, tried to kick the rolling ball to first base.

"If he would have kicked it to him and gotten me out, I almost would have been OK with it," said Coon, "because that would have been one of the best plays I've ever seen."