Ventura Leads Sox To Series Win, 8-1

Angel Ventura tossed six shutout innings, while both Ivan De Jesus and Tyler Heineman each drove in two runs to lead the Colorado Springs Sky Sox to a series-clinching 8-1 win over the Salt Lake Bees in front of 9,295 at Smith's Ballpark Saturday night.

Ventura (6-3, 4.01) bounced back from a loss in Las Vegas earlier in the week and kept the Bees off the board, scattering five hits while striking out four batters in six scoreless innings. The Bees loaded the bases in the first inning, but Ventura settled down and got out of the inning with a pop-up and a strikeout. The tying run would come to the plate in the fourth inning, but the right-hander caught Nick Franklin looking to end the threat.
For the second night in a row, the Sky Sox (67-43) jumped out to a three-run lead after the first two innings. The visitors jumped in front two batters into the game off Salt Lake starter Luis Diaz as Mauricio Dubón grounded out to shortstop Nick Franklin to drive in Kyle Wren, who tripled to lead off the game.
One inning later, the Sox increased their lead to 3-0 with a two-out rally. Heineman won a nine-pitch battle by lining a RBI single to right field to plate De Jesus. One batter later, Wren recorded his second extra-base hit in as many innings, lifting a RBI double into the right field corner to score Nate Orf.
De Jesus would factor into the scoring in the sixth inning. After Brett Phillips reached on an infield single and then advanced to second base on a pick-off error from catcher Carlos Pèrez, De Jesus lined an opposite-field home run off the right field foul pole for his sixth long ball of 2017.
The Sox continued their long-ball power in the eighth inning. Former Sox reliever Damien Magnifico reached 101 miles per hour to make the count 0-2 against Chris Colabello, but the Sox first baseman planted his fourth home run of the season halfway up the berm in left field one pitch later to extend the lead to 6-0.
Heineman tacked on a seventh run and second of the eighth inning three batters later. The Sox backstop lined a single to centerfield to score Orf on his second RBI single of the night. Heineman has recorded a two-RBI night six times this season after Saturday night's contest.
Salt Lake (58-55) scored a run in the eighth inning, but Phillips helped the Sox regain their seven-run cushion with a run in the ninth inning. After the right fielder led off with an infield single, Phillips moved to second on an error and eventually came around to score on a two-out error from second baseman David Fletcher to give the Sox their final 8-1 lead.
Colorado Springs aims for their fourth straight win and a series sweep of the Bees Sunday afternoon at 1:05 p.m. MT. RHP Taylor Jungmann (7-1, 3.13) takes the mound in the road trip finale against Los Angeles Angels RHP Andrew Heaney, who makes a rehab appearance for Salt Lake.