Prior to the 2004 season, this Salt Lake franchise had never lost more than six games in a row. After Friday night's 7-1 loss at Tucson, the Stingers have their second seven-game skid of the season.
East High product Mike Gosling (2-2) shut down the Stingers over seven innings, allowing just one run on four hits with three strikeouts and two walks. At one point, Gosling retired nine consecutive batters.
The Tucson offense scored early and often against Salt Lake starter Brandon Emanuel (0-5), as he gave up six runs on 15 hits in five innings for his ninth straight loss dating back to June 30 of last season. The Sidewinders scored two in the first on a sacrifice fly by Alan Zinter and an RBI double by Brian Barden.
Tucson plated two more in the third on back-to-back-to-back doubles by Zinter, Barden and Craig Ansman. Two more came in the fourth inning on run-scoring singles by Noochie Varner and Zinter.
Zinter capped off his three-RBI night with a solo homer off Scott Dunn in the sixth inning. Barden added three hits and two RBIs for the Sidewinders as they completed the four-game series sweep.
Salt Lake's only run came in the fourth on a bases-empty home run to right center by Javy Rodriguez, his first of the season. Jake Thrower added two hits for the Stingers, who were swept in a four-game series for the second time this year. The first was May 20-23 at Oklahoma.
BEELINES: Former Highland star Zach Sorensen came out of Thursday's game in the first inning after feeling some discomfort in his groin muscle. He expects to return to the lineup in a few days . . . Curtis Pride hopes to see action by Sunday or Monday. He's out with a hamstring strain. Pride says its the first hamstring injury he's had in 19 years of professional baseball . . . Tucson's Alan Zinter drove in three runs Friday to bring his career total to 45 RBIs against Salt Lake. That leaves him one RBI shy of the record by an opposing player, Dave Hajek who played for Tucson, Las Vegas and Colorado Springs knocked in 46 runs versus Salt Lake.