Albuquerque Drops 6-4 Decision To Salt Lake

SALT LAKE CITY - Efren Navarro hit a two-run double in the third inning and the Salt Lake Bees bullpen pitched five scoreless innings to secure a 6-4 victory against the Albuquerque Isotopes Monday night at Smith's Ballpark.

The Isotopes (10-8) started the scoring in the third inning with doubles from Mike Baxter, Joc Pederson and Clint Robinson to plate a pair of runs.

The Bees (7-12) answered with three unearned runs off 'Topes starter Zach Lee (2-1) in the bottom of the third when Luis Jimenez singled home a run before Navarro's double.

Albuquerque tied the game at three-all in the fourth on Carlos Triunfel's RBI groundout that scored Nick Buss.

Salt Lake went ahead for good in the fourth when Luis Martinez singled to right on a hit-and-run, and Tommy Field scored all the way from first base. Grant Green tacked on an RBI single in the frame as well.

Pederson, the Pacific Coast League's leading hitter who turned 22 Monday, finished the game with two more hits, a walk, two runs scored, a stolen base and an RBI. Pederson also caused a balk in the fifth inning that moved him to second base, where he was able to later score on Miguel Olivo's RBI single.

However, the 'Topes couldn't capitalize on additional scoring opportunities as they left 10 on base for the game.

The Bees added an insurance run in the eighth inning off reliever Stephen Fife, after a single, double and Shawn O'Malley's bunt single. Michael Morin struck out two batters in the ninth, and retired Olivo on a fielder's choice with the tying run on first base.

The finale of the four-game series is Tuesday afternoon. RHP Henry Sosa will start for Albuquerque, and Salt Lake will send LHP Jose Alvarez to the mound. The Bank of the West on-deck show starts at 11:45 a.m. and first pitch is at 12:05 p.m. The game will air on 1050 KTBL.