The Salt Lake Buzz were travel weary and in a foul mood Friday night.
Yet they played their best game in days.The Buzz shellacked Colorado Springs 12-3 at Sky Sox Stadium to nearly clinch the PCL Northern Division second half title. The win cut Salt Lake's magic number for the division crown to one with three games remaining. The Buzz could have clinched Friday but Vancouver beat Edmonton, 5-4.
Salt Lake had four chances to wrap up the second half championship in Vancouver, but the Canadians swept the series that concluded Thursday.
The Buzz spent most the day Friday just trying to get to Colorado Springs. After a 6 a.m. wake-up call they flew from Vancouver to Seattle, changed planes, flew to Denver, changed planes and then flew to Colorado Springs. The Buzz were bused straight from the airport to the ballpark, but it still wasn't in time for batting practice.
If that weren't enough, scheduled starter Rich Robertson, who is 5-0 and has been the team's best pitcher since being sent down from the Minnesota Twins, was a scratch due to a groin injury. Mike Misuraca, who hadn't started a game since July 13, was forced into action. He certainly didn't appear rusty. Misuraca gave up just two runs on five hits with no walks and six strikeouts to earn the victory.
"That was a well-pitched game and it came in a timely fashion," Buzz manager Phil Roof said. "After the kind of four days we had and the travel we went through today, I was impressed with the way we came out and played . . . It just goes to show that even when you're tired and fatigued you can still play well if your mind is in it."
The Buzz pounded 14 hits, including three homers. Van Snider, Steve Dunn and Riccardo Ingram all went deep. Dunn finished with three RBI while eight Salt Lake starters had at least one hit and drove in at least one run.
The Buzz and Sky Sox will meet tonight in the second game of the four-game series. The regular season will be completed with afternoon games Sunday and Monday. Salt Lake will begin the best-of-five Northern Division playoff series in Vancouver Wednesday.
BUZZ BRIEFS: One member of the Buzz and two current Minnesota Twins were named to the 12-member PCL All-Star Team it was announced Friday. Ingram, who leads the PCL with a .351 batting average, was named to the team as was former Buzz pitcher Scott Watkins, who had 20 saves before being called up to the Twins last month. Ron Coomer, now with the Twins after being traded from the Dodgers midseason, was named the PCL's all-star third baseman . . . The Buzz have four players among the PCL's top 10 in hitting and five regulars hitting above the .300 mark. Ingram leads the league, while infielders Mitch Simons (.330), Brian Raabe (.308) and Dunn (.308) are also among the league's top 10 hitters. Outfielder Steve Hazlett just misses the list with his .303 average. Buzzmen Patrick Lennon (.410) and Snider (.330) would be among the league leaders but don't have enough at bats to qualify.