This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2014, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
If Efren Navarro was upset about returning to Salt Lake City, it didn't show Saturday night.
Navarro went 3 for 3 including a two-run homer, leading the Bees to a 10-6 victory over Fresno in front of 11,524 fans at Smith's Ballpark.
Navarro was called up on May 9 by Salt Lake's parent club, the Los Angeles Angels. In the next 11 games, he went 9 for 29 with five doubles.
It wasn't enough to stay in the big leagues.
Asked if he was disappointed about coming back to the Bees, the 28-year-old Navarro said, "You know, I'm not. It's just part of the game. It's part of the job.
"Obviously, there are moves that have to be made. When I had the call-up, I went in with the mentality to help the team win and help them as much as I could."
Navarro's most recent stint with the Angels was the third of his career. But it was easily his most productive.
"I know I belong up there," he said. "If people say I do or I don't, that's their opinion. But I know I belong up there and it's just a matter of time and having patience and continuing to improve my skills. ... I know I did a pretty good job up there. Hopefully, they call me up again sometime soon. But, for now, I live in the present and try to control what I can control and go from there."
While Navarro had a big outing against Fresno, former American League MVP Josh Hamilton missed his second straight game because of lingering discomfort in his surgically repaired thumb.
The current timetable for Hamilton's stay in Salt Lake and eventual return to the Angels is unclear.
Against Fresno, however, the Bees didn't need Hamilton's bat. They pounded out 12 hits and overcame an early 3-0 deficit.
Navarro's two-out, two-run homer in the bottom of the first inning started the comeback. He added an RBI single in the third before crushing a ground-rule double to center during a three-run fourth.
Anderson De La Rose's three-run double into the left field corner in the seventh inning made it 10-4 and helped Salt Lake snap a two-game losing streak.
Bees 10, Grizzlies 6
O Efren Navarro has three hits, including a two-run homer, during Salt Lake's win over Fresno.
• Anderson De La Rosa's three-run double in the seventh inning helps the Bees secure the victory.
• In Salt Lake on an injury rehab assignment, former American League MVP Josh Hamilton doesn't play.