Find a penny? Pick it up and wish the Buzz good luck.
Though resisting the plea for rabbit feet and four-leaf clovers, Salt Lake is in dire need of a reversal of fortune.Tuesday's 3-2 loss to Edmonton at Franklin Quest Field merely added to the misery.
"I thought we had one there," Salt Lake manager Phil Roof said after the Buzz lost for the third consecutive time and fell five games behind the division-leading Trappers. Salt Lake (18-20) also dropped to 0-6 in Tuesday games this season and saw its 11-0 record when leading after eight innings blemished.
Enough already? No way. If it wasn't for bad luck, these guys would have no luck at all.
The Buzz have now lost six of their last seven games overall; five of six at home (not winning at Franklin Quest Field since May 1); and had two players suffer injuries Tuesday. Second baseman Jon Shave is nursing a bruised hand and designated hitter Mike Durant, who had a nine-game hitting streak come to an end with an 0-for-4 effort from the plate, is hampered by a strained hip flexor.
And last of all, Salt Lake was burned by a decision to intentionally walk a slugger with 32 RBI in favor of one with four in the ninth inning. The decision proved costly as the smaller number grew to five with a game-winning hit.
"We're not snakebit. We just haven't been creating anything," said Roof. "I believe you make your own luck whether it be good or bad. We've just got to do the little things, play aggressive and create."
Salt Lake dodged a lot of bullets, walking six batters in the first five innings, but surrendered only one run - a leadoff homer by former Buzzman Patrick Lennon in the fourth inning.
Trailing 1-0, the Buzz pulled even in the sixth when Pedro Castellano flew out to drive in Chris Latham who reached base earlier with a single. Salt Lake took its only lead an inning later when Jamie Ogden belted a shot over the centerfield wall with one out to make it 2-1, a score that stood until the final frame.
Salt Lake reliever Jose Parra opened the ninth by giving up a single to Edmonton's Izzy Molina. He later advanced to second on a wild pitch before the Buzz notched a strikeout and flyout to move within an out of victory. Brian Lesher stepped to the plate for the Trappers and tied the score by driving in Molina with a double.
Citing statistics, Roof then opted to have Parra intentionally walk Lennon and his 32 RBI in favor of facing outfielder Jose Herrera (.225 batting average and four RBI). A run-scoring single up the middle soon followed - leaving Salt Lake on the short side of the scoreboard, again.
"We just didn't shore things up," said Roof. "We've got to know tomorrow is another day and we've just got to come out swinging."
The series continues tonight at 7 with Salt Lake LHP Travis Miller (4-2, 2.86 ERA) facing Edmonton RHP Bobby Chouinard (2-2, 5.35).
BEE LINES: Buzz pitcher LaTroy Hawkins, who was ejected from Monday's game for excessively arguing with the umpire, has been suspended for two games and fined $100 by the Pacific Coast League for his outburst. He will not miss his turn in Salt Lake's pitching rotation . . . Utah Jazz president Frank Layden was joined by University of Utah football coach Ron McBride in singing "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" atop the visitors dugout during the seventh-inning stretch . . . The Buzz upped their season attendance to 106,808 (tops in the PCL) in 16 dates with an announced crowd of 6,572.