SALT LAKE CITY — Fans at Spring Mobile Ballpark Friday night were treated to an old-fashioned pitching duel, a rarity in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League.
But even though Salt Lake's Bear Bay notched his third straight quality start, it wasn't enough as Tacoma claimed a 7-2 win. The Raniers took a 3-2 lead into the ninth inning, then plated four runs to put the game out of reach.
"That's just kind of how it goes sometimes," Salt Lake manager Keith Johnson said. "We were able to fight back, then lost at the end. Obviously we were trying our best to get through that last inning, but they barreled up some balls and pushed some runs across."
Tacoma wasted no time getting on the board, advancing runners to second and third in the top of the first when Bay threw a wild pitch. Salt Lake catcher Hank Conger struggled to locate the ball and both runners scored, giving the Raniers an early lead.
That was pretty much all Tacoma pitcher Anthony Vasquez needed. The lefty worked quickly and had a perfect game going into the fourth inning when he walked Freddy Sandoval on four pitches. He then proceeded to strike out Conger and Paul McAnulty to end the inning with his no-hitter intact.
The Bees finally got to Vasquez in the bottom of the sixth when Conger drilled a two-run double to the gap in left-center, pulling the Bees within one at 3-2.
Vasquez, though shut the door from there. Crafty and smooth, he threw 72?3 innings of four-hit ball to pick up the win. He struck out seven and left with two men on in the bottom of the eighth inning. He got off the hook, though, when McAnulty popped out to end the potential Bees rally.
Bay took the loss after he scattered 11 hits and allowed only three runs over 61?3 innings of work. He struck out six batters to only one walk.
"We saw the same thing we've been seeing all year from Bear," Johnson said. "He's been doing a great job for us, and every time he takes the mound we feel like we have a chance to win the ballgame. Their guy worked both sides of the plate and kept us really off-balance. Both of them were really good tonight."
Six Tacoma players recorded at least two hits, including Kyle Seager, Carlos Peguero and Luis Antonio Jimenez, who had three hits each.
Sandoval and Rian Kiniry scored Salt Lake's only runs.
The Bees and Raniers will play again tonight at 7:05 p.m.
email: mpayne@desnews.com