After a five hour, 31 minute game on Monday, the Salt Lake Buzz pitching staff needed a break.
Rich Robertson provided it Tuesday. The Buzz lefty pitched 72/3 strong innings to lead Salt Lake to a 4-2 victory over the Vancouver Canadians at Franklin Quest Field. It was the fourth straight win for the Buzz and kept them atop the PCL Northern Division second-half standings with a 25-21 mark."We got what we were looking for: a well-pitched game," said Buzz manager Phil Roof, whose staff was depleted during Monday's 16-inning, 12-11 victory. "I can't say enough nice things about Rich Robertson. It was a well-pitched game when we really needed it."
Robertson, who struck out eight and scattered six hits, improved to 3-0 in a Buzz uniform.
"I knew I needed to go seven or eight (innings), but I couldn't worry about that," Robertson said. "I was just trying to keep the ball down and changing speeds hoping they would put it in play and we would catch it."
Both starting pitchers, Robertson and Vancouver's Pete Janicki, had it going early. Neither team scored during the first five innings. Salt Lake finally got on the board in the sixth inning on a solo homer by Steve Hazlett to left, his third of the year.
Vancouver's Todd Greene, who had three one-run homers in Monday's loss, sent his fourth solo shot in two days over Franklin Quest Field's left fence in the seventh inning to knot the game, 1-1. Greene, who hit 35 homers last season at the Single-A level, now has 10 in 21 games for the Canadians to go along with the 26 he hit at the AA level this year.
After Buzz catcher Damian Miller doubled to lead off the bottom of the seventh, shortstop Denny Hocking fouled off a sacrifice bunt attempt.
"I tried bunting, but I guess it was a good thing I didn't get the bunt down," Hocking said.
It was a good thing for the Buzz because Hocking lined Janicki's next pitch to the gap in right-center field for a double, scoring Miller. Brian Raabe then drove in Hocking with a single and later scored on a groundout by Mitch Simons, giving the Buzz a 4-1 lead.
The Canadians scored a two-out run in the eighth, but Dan Naulty came on to force the red-hot Greene to line out to end the threat. Naulty picked up his third save of the year by closing the door on Vancouver in the ninth.
Miller finished with a second straight three-hit game, while Hocking extended his season-best hitting streak to 11 games.
The Buzz and Canadians will play the third game of their four-game set tonight. RHP LaTroy Hawkins (5-6, 3.99 ERA) is scheduled to start against Vancouver RHP Julio Valera (0-3, 6.57 ERA).
BUZZ BRIEFS: Lefty Vince Horsman, who was 1-0 with a 10.38 ERA in 16 games (13 innings) as a Buzz reliever, was released Tuesday by the Minnesota Twins . . . Former Viewmont High pitcher Jeff Garff may someday find himself in a Buzz uniform if he keeps up his current pace. Garff was drafted by the Buzz parent Minnesota Twins in June and is playing for their rookie-league team in Fort Myers, Fla. He is 3-2 with an impressive 2.18 ERA in 11 games. Another local player in the Twins' organization is pitcher Tom Gourdin, a Murray High alum. Gourdin is 5-4 with a 4.81 ERA and six saves in 33 games for the Single-A Fort Wayne Miracle . . . The Buzz now have just 10 games at home and 26 overall remaining this season. If they win the second half Northern Division title they would play a best-of-five playoff series against Vancouver, the first-half division winner.