Klauke's Top 10 in the last 10
Salt Lake did suffer through its only two sub .500 seasons in 2003 and 2004, but it also reached the playoffs five times with a pair of trips to the PCL Finals. It also missed the postseason by two games or less in 2005 and 2009.
Over the last 10 years, there have been many exciting moments on the field provided by the many players that have worn the Salt Lake blue and gold, red and white or black and gold. It was hard to narrow it down to just 10 games, but here's my stab at it. Make note that it was nearly impossible to put them in any kind of order, so I'm going to take the easy way out and list them chronologically.
1. A.J. Pierzynski hits two grand slams in one game, August 10, 2000 vs. Calgary
The 2000 Buzz team had a group of hitters that destroyed PCL pitching all season long. Names like Hunter, Walker, Blake, Mientkiewicz and other future major leaguers dotted the lineup that year, but no one had a game, before or since, like Pierzynski had that day. In the first inning, one run had already scored when A.J. came to the plate with the bases loaded and two out in the first inning. Pierzynski broke a 1-1 tie as he deposited the first pitch thrown to him by Cannons' righty Sean Bergman onto the right field berm. Then in the seventh inning, A.J. strolled to the plate with the bases full and ripped a 1-0 pitch from righthander Mike Cather over the right field wall for his second slam of the game to become only the third player in PCL history to hit a pair of bases loaded blasts in one game.
2. Buzz destroys Sacramento 16-7 to win Pacific Conference Championship Series, September 10, 2000
For the second straight year, Salt Lake faced the Triple-A affiliate of the Oakland Athletics in the conference championship series. In 1999, Vancouver put together a late rally to upend the Buzz. Salt Lake would have nothing of it this time around. The Buzz led 8-3 after six, but the River Cats scored four runs in the top of the seventh to pull to within one run. Future River Cat Danny Ardoin gave the Buzz some breathing room with a two-run double in the bottom of the seventh. Salt Lake then broke the game open with six runs in the eighth. That inning featured back-to-back-to-back home runs by Bobby Kielty, Luis Rivas and Ardoin. Salt Lake would go on to lose in the PCL Finals to Memphis on a walk-off homerun in the bottom of the 13th inning of Game four by Albert Pujols.
3. Scott Morgan belts walk-off homeruns in back-to-back games, May 13 & 14, 2001 vs. Iowa
In the first year as an Angels affiliate and now named the Stingers, Salt Lake got off to a great start in 2001 and led division rival Iowa by six games going into May 13. The Cubs were looking to gain ground and had Carlos Zambrano on the mound. The two teams battled to a 4-4 tie going into the bottom of the ninth. Jeff DaVanon opened up the frame with a single to left off of Iowa reliever Joe Borowski. Morgan fell behind 0-2 before drilling the next pitch over the left field wall to win the game. The next night, Iowa led 9-6 going into the bottom of the ninth. The Stingers scored one run to pull to within two, but there were now two out with no one on base. Junior Zamora extended the game with a triple to right off of Rob Stanifer. Zamora scored on a single by Jose Nieves and DaVanon reached on an infield single. That set the stage for Morgan, who took a 1-1 pitch over the sidewalk in left field to end the game with a homerun for the second night in a row.
4. Lou Pote and bullpen toss one-hitter to clinch playoff series, September 6, 2002 at Oklahoma
The Stingers won the Central Division by two games over Omaha and claimed the first two games at home in the American Conference Championship Series against the Redhawks. The Series shifted to Oklahoma City and manager Mike Brumley sent veteran right hander Lou Pote to the mound. Pote was 2-1 with a 6.00 ERA after being sent down to Salt Lake from Anaheim, but he came out strong and did not allow a hit through the first seven innings while fanning ten Redhawk hitters. Meanwhile, the Stingers could only manage one run off of Oklahoma starter R.A. Dickey on an RBI ground out by Keith Johnson. In the eighth, Pote struck out Hank Blalock, but he walked Jason Hart and Brumley went to the bullpen for Bart Miadich, who retired the next two batters to get out of the inning. Francisco Rodriguez came on to close out the game in the ninth, but with one out, Jermaine Clark singled to left to break up the no-hit bid and stole second to put the tying run in scoring position. Clark advanced to third on a ground out and the pitcher to soon be known as "K-Rod," walked Travis Hafner to put the potential winning run on base. Ed Sprague worked the count full, but went down swinging on one of Rodriguez' nasty sliders to end the game.
5. Barry Wesson throws out three baserunners, July 5, 2003 vs. Tacoma
Not very many runners were successful trying to advance against the strong arm of Wesson that season. He set a franchise record with 19 outfield assists in 2003 with three of them coming in one game. Speedy Rainiers' outfielder Jamal Strong was the first to tempt fate. On a single to right in the third inning, Strong took too wide of a turn around first base and a laser from Wesson to first baseman Robb Quinlan nailed Strong trying to get back to the bag. In the seventh, Kenny Kelly tripled to left field for Tacoma, which held a 6-4 lead. Mickey Lopez lifted a ball to right field and Rainiers' manager Dan Rohn sent Kelly home after the catch by Wesson, who delivered a perfect strike to the plate that allowed Wil Nieves to tag Kelly for the final out of the inning. After the Stingers rallied with three runs in the bottom of the seventh to take the lead, Luis Figueroa singled to right to lead off the eighth. He tried to stretch the hit into a double, but there was Wesson and his rifle-like right arm throwing it right on the bag for shortstop Adonis Harrison, who applied the tag for the out. Salt Lake went on to win the game 8-6, in large part to the right arm of Wesson, who also drove home the tying and eventual winning runs with a two out double in the seventh.
6. Dallas McPherson sets a PCL record for strikeouts, July 9, 2004 at Las Vegas
When the powerful McPherson came to the plate, you knew he wasn't going to get cheated on his swing. When he connected, the ball had a tendency to go a long way. But Dallas also had a propensity to strikeout and that was never more evident than that night in Vegas, where a lot of people have gone down swinging. In 11 innings, McPherson faced five different pitchers. Vegas starter Roy Smith went three innings and got Dallas swinging in the first and third innings. Dallas then took his only called third strike of the game against Harold Eckert in the fifth. Tom Farmer struck him out in the seventh, Yhency Brazoban in the ninth and Troy Brohawn in the eleventh. McPherson would strand seven baserunners, five of them in scoring position. When he came to Salt Lake City with Albuquerque in 2008, I asked him on the pregame show what his most vivid memory of his playing time with the Stingers and Bees. He quickly responded with "that night in Las Vegas when I struck out six times."
7. Ryan Budde hits an inside-the-park home run, August 12, 2005 at Tacoma
Budde has, off and on, spent six seasons in a Salt Lake uniform. He's been as solid as they come, defensively, behind the plate. Budde is adept at blocking balls in the dirt and in throwing out would-be basestealers. Ryan has contributed several big hits in his Stingers and Bees career, but no one has ever mistaken him for Usain Bolt, the great Jamaican sprinter. On that night at Cheney Stadium, Budde came to the plate in the sixth inning of a scoreless game with a runner at first and no outs. Brian Specht was promptly picked off for the first out of the inning. Budde worked the count full on pitcher Chris Buglovsky before hitting a rope to centerfield. Jamal Strong came in to catch the liner, but as he approached the ball, it started to carry and soared over his head. The ball rolled all the way to the 425 foot mark at the base of the centerfield wall. As Strong gave chase, Ryan was chugging around the bases and seemed be gradually slowing down, but manager Dino Ebel waived him around third and Budde beat the relay. To this day, when I tell some of his new teammates about that day in Tacoma, I am greeted by looks of disbelief, but Ryan's name is one of six in the team record book of those who have hit inside the park home runs in Salt Lake franchise history.
8. Jered Weaver fans 14, June 23, 2006 vs. Sacramento
Weaver got off to a 4-1 start for the Bees in 2006 and eventually earned an early promotion to the Angels. Jered won his first four major league starts with a 1.37 ERA. Despite that success, Weaver was sent back to Triple-A due to a numbers crunch in the Angels rotation. In his second start back with Bees, Weaver faced archrival Sacramento. Early in the game, it appeared that the River Cats dugout was getting on Jered and tried to throw him off his game. Instead, that fired up Weaver. Through the first six innings, he led 1-0 and had allowed no hits while striking out seven with one walk. Weaver fanned the first two batters in the seventh before giving up back-to-back singles to Nate Espy and Scott McClain. He got out of trouble by striking out Jeremy Brown. After a 1-2-3 eighth, Weaver ended the game with a flourish as he got Charles Thomas swinging, Richie Robnett looking and got John Baker to whiff at a 3-2 pitch to end the game. The 14 strikeouts is still a franchise record. Weaver would make one more start at Colorado Springs before being recalled by the Angels and he hasn't been back since.
9. Bees hit two grand slams in the same inning, May 5, 2009 vs. Tacoma
Angels ace John Lackey was on a rehab assignment for the Bees and made the start that night against Tacoma. While he and four relief pitchers combined to toss a one-hitter, the story of the night came in the fourth inning. Matt Brown and Terry Evans opened the frame with walks and Adam Pavkovich beat out a bunt for a hit to load the bases. That would be all for Rainiers' starter Eric Hull and former Salt Lake hurler Steven Shell came in to pitch. He fanned Gary Patchett, but Brad Coon followed by lifting a 1-1 pitch over the right field wall for a grand slam to give the Bees a 4-0 lead. Salt Lake wasn't done, however, as Reggie Willits and Chris Pettit singled and Sean Rodriguez walked to reload the bases. Bobby Wilson then stroked the first pitch from Shell over the left field wall for the second bases full blast of his Salt Lake career to put the Bees in front 8-0. It turned out to be only the third time in the over 100 year history of the PCL that a team has hit two grand slams in the same inning.
10. Sean O'Sullivan tosses a no-hitter, July 28, 2009 at Sacramento
Sean came to Raley Field that night with a heavy heart knowing that he was going to go home the next morning to attend the funeral of his grandmother. This was also his first outing for Salt Lake after being sent down by the Angels following his successful major league debut where he went 3-0 in five starts. O'Sullivan was facing a River Cats team that had the best record in the PCL at the time. Sean was sharp from the outset, as he retired the first 18 batters he faced. He did get some help from his teammates, as second baseman Sean Rodriguez made a spectacular over the shoulder catch in right center to end the third inning and Brad Coon made a great diving catch in center to rob Aaron Cunningham to end the fourth. After jumping ahead of Cliff Pennington 1-2 to lead off the seventh, O'Sullivan missed on three straight pitches to issue a leadoff walk. Sean would retire the next three batters to strand Pennington at first. In the ninth, Anthony Recker opened with a bouncer up the middle that shortstop Gary Patchett would flag down and make an off-balance throw to first for the initial out. He then struck out Yung Chi Chen for the second out. Pennington stood between O'Sullivan and the first nine inning no-hitter in franchise history. On a 1-1 pitch, Pennington pulled a ground ball to the right side. Rodriguez made a sliding stop to his left and then tossed out Pennington and the celebration was on. After the game, Sean spent 20 minutes signing autographs for the Sacramento fans and later dedicated his efforts to his late grandmother.
Honorable Mention:
Back-to-back walk-off wins in Games 1 & 2 of the 2007 Pacific Conference Championship Series vs. Sacramento...Matt Brown hits a game-ending homerun in the bottom of the ninth in front of a packed house on July 4, 2007...Buzz score 13 runs in the top of the fifth inning in a 24-4 rout of the Cannons in Calgary on June 4, 2000. Mario Valdez drives in seven of the runs...Adam Riggs belts three homeruns at Portland on August 13, 2004, one of which that crosses the street on one hop and hits the Oregonian newspaper building...Tucson comes to Salt Lake and pounds the Bees 28-5 on July 23, 2006...Nick Adenhart and Milan Dinga combine on a four-hitter in an 8-1 win at home over Fresno on April 27, 2008. The win extended the Bees' record start to 21-1.