Salt Lake Bees frustrated again in loss

It was yet another frustrating night for the home team at Spring Mobile Ballpark on Tuesday.

The Salt Lake Bees rallied from a four-run deficit to tie their game against the Las Vegas 51s in the bottom of the eighth. But the 51s scored five runs in the ninth — on a bases-clearing double and a two-run homer — to win going away, 11-6.

Salt Lake, as has been the case all season long, didn't have a ninth-inning comeback in them. The Bees, who fell to 62-68 on the year, are now 0-58 this season when trailing entering the ninth.

It was Salt Lake's second backbreaking home loss in as many nights and its eighth setback in the past 11 games.

The Bees rallied from a 5-1 deficit to tie the game 6-6 in the bottom of the eighth when Chris Pettit tripled and then scored on a throwing error. Pettit had a big night, going 3-for-4 with an RBI and two runs scored.

Las Vegas' Buck Coats hit a three-run double off Bees reliever Francisco Rodriguez to break the tie in the ninth, and then J.P. Arencibia followed with a two-run homer off Salt Lake's Rich Thompson.

While it was a frustrating night for all the Bees, it was particularly rough for right fielder Terry Evans, who struck out a franchise-tying five times in a nine-inning game.

Salt Lake will try to regroup tonight when it opens up a five-game set against division-leading Colorado Springs on the other side of the Rockies. Even if the Bees were to sweep the Sky Sox, however, Colorado Springs would still be ahead of Salt Lake in the standings.

Bees pitcher Sean O'Sullivan (6-3, 5.66) is scheduled to start against Colorado Springs lefty Kurt Birkins (3-2, 3.60).

BEES WAX: The Bees need to win 10 of their remaining 13 games to avoid a sub-.500 season for just the third time in franchise history. The only two losing seasons since Triple-A baseball returned to Salt Lake in 1994 came in 2003 (68-75) and 2004 (56-88). … A crowd of 7,131 attended Tuesday's game. Salt Lake is fifth in the 16-team PCL in attendance with an average of better than 7,100. … Bees left-handed pitcher Daniel Davidson was placed on the disabled list on Tuesday with a left intercostal strain. Davidson's spot on the Salt Lake roster was taken by Robert Fish, who has been playing with Single-A Rancho Cucamonga.

e-mail: lojo@desnews.com