Don't read anything into Salt Lake's late-season slide. The Stingers, who held a nine-game lead in late May but now find themselves in a first-place tie with Iowa, insist they're still committed to winning the PCL's Central Division.
"The incentive is to win a championship, to be part of something. And to be part of a winning team. A team that has won a championship. That's something," says Stingers manager Garry Templeton, whose team defeated Omaha 5-3 at Franklin Covey Field Friday.
"Guys want to win down here just as bad as guys want to win in the big leagues. So guys go out and give it their all."
Veteran slugger Chris Pritchett agrees, saying it's very important for the Stingers, as a group, to be successful.
"Collectively I sense that," says Pritchett. "I don't think any player wants to ever just throw games, to hurry up and get it over with, so they can go up to the big leagues. I think you've only got a certain amount of teams in your career that make the playoffs. I think we take that very seriously."
Although major league rosters expand each September — giving minor leaguers a prime opportunity to experience the game at its highest level — Pritchett says players are more concerned with winning a pennant. Especially so, he adds, for the guys who have spent most of the summer together as teammates.
"I've been in both positions, where I was going to go up and when I wasn't going to go up, and I still feel the same way," he said.
After baserunning mistakes cost Salt Lake a victory in the series opener, the Stingers came out swinging this time around. They built a 5-0 lead over the first five innings. Trent Durrington powered the outburst by driving in three runs, while Juan Tolentino and Jose Molina each knocked in one.
"To come in and score some runs right away, I think, kicked the guys' confidence levels up," explained Templeton.
Omaha countered with single scores in the sixth, seventh and eighth, but could never overcome the early deficit. Salt Lake starter Scot Shields picked up the victory after scattering five hits over seven innings.
With the win, the Stingers improved to 76-57. They remain tied with Iowa, which prevailed at Colorado Springs, as the regular season enters its final 10 games. The pennant race will likely boil down to a season-ending four-game series between the contenders in Des Moines (Aug. 31-Sept. 3).
"I know that's not too long away, but there's still much more important things at hand," says Pritchett. "That's still several games away. We've got to take care of ourselves, start swinging the bat and do the things we need to do."
BEE LINES: Friday's attendance was 8,370 . . . The series continues tonight at 7. Salt Lake RHP John Lackey (2-4, 6.65 ERA) and Omaha RHP Jeff D'Amico (5-5, 3.22 ERA) are the scheduled starters . . . Stingers officials are confident the team will qualify for postseason play. Playoff tickets go on sale Monday morning . . . Stingers RF Jeff Guiel and Omaha RF Aaron Guiel are brothers.
E-mail: dirk@desnews.com