Hiatt’s blast sinks Fresno

Steve Guiremand

Monday, May 21, 2001 | 9:30 a.m.

Sometimes it pays to be lucky and good.

Just ask Las Vegas 51s manager Rick Sofield.

With his team trailing by one run, 4-3, to the Fresno Grizzlies in the bottom of the eighth inning Sunday afternoon at Cashman Field, Sofield decided to play the percentages. After Jeff Branson opened the inning with a single, Sofield had first baseman John Cotton sacrifice.

Cotton bunted all right, but right at charging Grizzlies third baseman Josh Tyler who whirled and threw Branson out at second.

Enter Phil Hiatt to save the day.

Hiatt hit a towering two-run homer over the left field fence to rally the 51s to a 5-4 win and stretch the team's win streak to four games.

It was the second home run of the day for Hiatt, who also hit a three-run shot in the third inning. He has seven home runs and 22 RBIs in just 20 games with the 51s.

"We don't execute a sacrifice bunt ... and then Hiatt comes up when all else has failed and puts the ball out of the ballpark," Sofield said. "That's pretty clutch. That's a pretty impressive afternoon."

It also enabled Las Vegas (19-24) to move a half-game past Fresno (18-24) and out of the cellar in the PCL's South Division.

It's the third time this season the 51s have won four games in a row. They have never won five straight, but will try to accomplish that feat tonight at Cashman Field against the Tucson Sidewinders.

Bogar, expected to be a utilityman this season with the Dodgers, has played just two games in Los Angeles because of hamstring problems. He reinjured his left hamstring during his first rehab stint in Las Vegas in April and returned to Los Angeles for further treatment. Bogar then returned to Las Vegas on May 13 and reinjured the hamstring again in Thursday night's 13-2 win over Fresno.

"Bogar is bleeding into his hamstring again," Dodgers manager Jim Tracy said. "He's shut down. No play until further notice."

"He's a little better (Sunday)," Sofield said. "He's very disappointed as we all are. We want to send him back to Tracy healthy. We think he can make a big contribution to the Dodgers."