PCL baseball: Salt Lake Bees fall to Tucson, 9-6

Once Peter Bourjos whacked the first pitch he saw Tuesday over the Tucson center fielder's head, the only question that remained was whether he would get three or four bases.

Bourjos, on rehab to Salt Lake from the Los Angeles Angels, cruised into third with a standup triple and then easily scored when Bees teammate Andrew Romine followed with another three-bagger. It was one of three Bourjos hits during Tucson's 9-6 victory at Spring Mobile Ballpark.

Bourjos' triple was truly a blast from the past. In 400 at-bats for Salt Lake in 2010, the 25-year-old ripped 12 of them, including three in one memorable game en route to the PCL Rookie of the Year award.

"I love playing the game and obviously I wish I was playing every day up there, but I'm not," Bourjos said. "It's a good time to get some at-bats down here and help the team win."

In 2011, Bourjos enjoyed another good rookie season, patrolling center for the Angels. As for 2012, much of it has been forgettable.

The emergence of Mike Trout, the power of Mark Trumbo and the contracts of Vernon Wells and Torii Hunter put Bourjos on the end of the bench.

"There are only three spots out there, unless they put in a rover out there," Bourjos said.

On Aug. 22, Bourjos was placed on the disabled list with a sore right wrist.

The wrist is fine, thanks to a cortisone shot. His future with the Angels, however, remains up in the air.

"My name has been out there the last three years [in trade rumors], and it never really bothered," he said. "It didn't bother me until the last couple days when it was really heating up, sounding like it was close to being done.

"It wasn't so much about getting traded. It was about not knowing where I was going to be the next day and having to deal with that, all the uncertainty."

Bourjos wants to contribute to the Angels, and believes he can. But he also understands the business.

"If it was easy, a lot more people would be doing it," he said.

Bourjos just might get that shot. Hunter's contract is up at the end of the season.

"One way or another, it will work out," he said. "I'm going to keep my head up and keep working hard."

Pioneer League

Raptors 6, Owlz 3 • Ogden piled on four runs in the top of the ninth inning to beat Orem on the road on Tuesday night, led by Justin Boudreaux's three RBIs.

Orem led 3-2 going into the ninth, but the Owlz, who committed four errors, couldn't hold on. Michael Snyder led Orem's offense with a home run and two RBIs.

Jason West earned the win for Ogden, allowing three hits and one run with two strikeouts in three innings. —

Storylines Padres 9, Bees 6

R Tucson sends 13 players to bat in a nine-run fifth inning that includes a three-run homer by right fielder Sawyer Carroll.

• Peter Bourjos and Andrew Romine open the first inning for Salt Lake with back-to-back triples.

• Salt Lake's Cory Aldridge smacks a three-run homer in the eighth.