TACOMA, Wash. — Most of the 5,600 fans at Tacoma's Cheney Stadium Monday night had come to see Mariners' star Jay Buhner begin an injury rehab assignment. Instead, they'll remember an outstanding pitching performance by the Stingers' Scot Shields as Salt Lake City downed the Rainiers 7-3.
Shields had a perfect game for 6 1/3 innings until he missed low with a curve ball to walk Eugene Kingsale. Shields lost the no-hitter with one out in the seventh when he gave up a clean single to left to Chad Akers. Shields (4-9) did record his fourth complete game to tie for the league lead, but it was his first that resulted in a win.
Offensively, the Stingers jumped all over Tacoma starter Rob Ramsey (8-11) to hand him his seventh straight loss. Jose Molina had two hits and two runs batted in and Trent Durrington had an RBI triple and a run-scoring double to pace the Salt Lake attack.
Buhner went 0-for-4, striking out twice in his season debut. He has been recuperating from plantar fascia in his left foot.
NOTES: The victory puts the Stingers 21 games above .500 for the first time this season. They had reached 20 games over on eight other occasions but lost their next game . . . Salt Lake City still leads the Central Division by three games as Iowa beat Nashville 7-5 in 10 innings Monday night . . . The Stingers open a four-game series at Portland Tuesday night (7:30 on AM-1230) with John Lackey starting for Salt Lake City.