This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2013, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Salt Lake righthander Barry Enright got back on track Thursday night at Spring Mobile Ballpark, while the Bees just kept rolling along.
After winning only once in eight starts since April 10, Enright handcuffed Sacramento on three hits through six scoreless innings, leading Salt Lake to an 8-4 victory over the River Cats.
The win was the Bees' fifth straight. During the streak, they have scored 43 runs and pounded out 57 hits.
After seeing eight batters in his starting lineup get at least one hit against Sacramento, Salt Lake manager Keith Johnson suggested the health of the Bees' parent club has been a key to their recent offensive success.
Instead of shuttling between Salt Lake and Anaheim and mostly sitting the bench with the Angels, Johnson explained, his front line players have spent enough time in one place to relax and find their groove at the plate.
"We have guys up and down the lineup now that are forcing pitchers to get them out," Johnson said. "And we're doing a much better job with runners in scoring position, which was a problem early in the year."
Asked about Enright's performance, Johnson smiled and said, "This is one of the first times in a while he was out there pitching with a purpose. He had a chip on his shoulder, just attacking the zone [and] attacking the hitters. ... He did a great job of competing."
Sacramento did all its damage in the seventh, when a three-run homer by Daric Barton and a solo shot by Hiroyuki Nakajima narrowed Salt Lake's five-run lead to 5-4. Enright retired the next two batters, however, to get through the seventh and earn the win.
"I did a lot better job being aggressive," said Enright, who believes long hours with pitching coach Erik Bennett has paid dividends.
"We've been working pretty hard to get some things ironed out. Mostly, I didn't worry about mechanics. I didn't worry about anything. I just tried to compete."
Idaho Falls 4, Orem 0 • Patrick Conroy struck out seven and allowed just three hits in 51⁄3 innings as the Owlz lost their season opener on the road.
Grand Juction 11, Ogden 6 • The Rockies led 9-0 in the fourth inning, and a five-run sixth inning by the Raptors wasn't enough in both teams' season opener in Colorado. —
Bees 8, River Cats 4
R The Bees extend their winning streak to five straight games with an 8-4 victory over Sacramento.
• Starting pitcher Barry Enright scatters three hits in the first six innings to get the win.