COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — Sean Rodriguez had three hits, three RBIs and scored two runs as the Salt Lake Bees beat the Colorado Springs Sky Sox 5-1 in front of a crowd of 7,886 fans at Security Service Field on Friday night.
Rodriguez went 3-for-4 and was a double short of hitting for the cycle. He tripled in a run in the first inning, singled and scored in the fourth and belted a two-run homer in the sixth. Rodriguez came to the plate one more time in the eighth, but he flied out to left field.
Mike MacDonald (8-11) threw eight strong innings and allowed one run on five hits to earn his eighth win of the season for Salt Lake. Rich Thompson worked a 1-2-3 ninth inning to close out the game. Terry Evans and Bobby Wilson each drove in one run as the Bees won their second straight at Colorado Springs and kept their elimination number at six.
Mark Bellhorn went 1-for-3 with a solo home run and Jason Giambi went 2-for-4 for the Sky Sox.
Veteran Russ Ortiz (0-1) made his first start of the season for the Sky Sox and was roughed up by the Bees. The right-hander, who was signed by the Rockies last Sunday, allowed five runs on eight hits in six innings for the loss.
Game four of the five-game series is set for 7:05 p.m. tonight with right-hander Jhoulys Chacin (1-1, 6.14) taking the hill for the Sky Sox against right-hander Tommy Mendoza (0-1, 7.00) of the Bees.