In his last start, on Friday, Salt Lake Buzz ace LaTroy Hawkins was chased after getting torched for 12 runs in 2/3 of an inning. On Monday, he was run off the mound again. This time, by a man in blue.
You figured to see a pitching duel with Hawkins and Edmonton's Mike Oquist, two of the best hurlers in the Pacific Coast League, going head-to-head. But Hawkins didn't stick around long enough to see the Buzz lose a 5-2 decision to the Trappers at Franklin Quest Field. Instead, he got ejected by home plate umpire Tony Randazzo after 3 2/3 innings of work.
While Buzz manager Phil Roof conceded Hawkins "did something wrong" by getting tossed, he defended his pitcher, saying Randazzo provoked Hawkins. "(Randazzo) told me he didn't bait (Hawkins), but I saw his body language. I'm convinced he baited him," said Roof.
After three solid innings, Hawkins lost control in the fourth. While his pitches appeared to be on target, that's not how Randazzo saw it.
The trouble started when Hawkins loaded the bases with a walk and a pair of base hits. With one out and Scott Sheldon at bat, Hawkins threw a wild pitch in the dirt, which scored the runner from third. Then the 6-foot-5 righthanded plunked Sheldon to load the bases again.
Following a strikeout, Hawkins issued a walk to Creighton Gubanich on a couple of close balls-and-strikes calls. Buzz pitching coach Rick Anderson went to the hill to meet with Hawkins. During the confab, Randazzo strode to the mound, exchanged words with Hawkins and the ump gave LaThumb to LaTroy.
Furious, Hawkins slammed down the ball, which bounced and hit Randazzo, and went after the ump, with fists flailing. the pitcher had to be restrained by Anderson and his teammates before he stormed to the dugout and flung his glove against the wall.
Hawkins was not apologetic after the game. "I three the ball over the middle of the plate," he said. "I don't like my game being dictated by umpires. He came out to the mound and stared at me. I told him it was my mound and he said it was his field. I threw strikes. What else can I do? I protested it."
Meanwhile, on a night when the game started at 6 p.m. to accomodate those who wanted to watch the Utah Jazz, it was the Big O who dominated.
In 7 2/3 innings, Oquist surrendered just five hits and struck out nine. He sat down the side in order five times. "We faced a pretty good pitcher out there," said Roof. "He did a good job changing speeds on us. He'll probably be called up (to the parent club Oakland A's) soon."
Oquist improved to 6-1 on the season, while Hawkins saw his mark drop to 6-2, his second set-back in a row.
With the loss, the Buzz sank below .500 (17-18) for the first time in three weeks. Salt Lake has now lost five of its last six games. "It'll turn around," said Roof. "We need to be more aggressive in the count."
Salt Lake didn't score until the sixth inning when Kevin Baez drew a walk to lead off, and a sacrifice bunt by Chris Latham advanced him to second (it was the furthest a Buzz baserunner had advanced at that point). One batter later, Ryan Radmanovich singled home Baez.
In the top of that inning, the Trappers struck with a pair of solo home runs by Patrick Lennon and Sheldon.
The other Salt Lake run came in the eighth, when Mike Durant singled and Latham doubled off the wall in straightaway center for the RBI. Edmonton added an insurance run in the ninth for a 5-2 advantage.
The fourth-place Buzz fell four games behind the first-place Trappers (22-15) in the Northern Divison. The two teams continue their four-game series Tuesday at 7 p.m.
BUZZ CLIPS: First baseman Scott Stahoviak played in his first game in Salt Lake as a Buzzman since 1995. . .Stahoviak spent all of 1994 with the Buzz and the beginning of 1995 before joining the Minnesota Twins. . .Hawkins entered Monday's game on just two days rest, although Roof pointed out he only threw 56 pitches on Friday. . .Durant has not hit safely in nine straight games.