Salt Lake Trappers Win Twice; Victory Streak Reaches 25 Games

The Salt Lake Trappers, a rookie league baseball team, moved closer Wednesday night to an 86-year-old professional record for consecutive victories.

The Trappers of the Class-A Pioneer League, who are not affiliated with any major league team, swept a doubleheader from Idaho Falls, 8-3 and 7-2, at Salt Lake City to increase their winning streak to 25 games.

The professional baseball record for consecutive victories is 27, set by Corsicana of the Texas League in 1902 and tied by Baltimore of the International League in 1921. The major league record is 26 by the New York Giants in 1916.

Salt Lake’s streak is the longest in baseball since Spartanburg won 25 straight in the Western Carolinas League in 1966. Stockton won 26 straight in the California League in 1947.

John Leake’s run-scoring grounder gave the Trappers a 2-1 lead in the third inning of the nightcap, and Neil Reynolds’ single made it 3-1 in the fifth. After Idaho Falls drew within a run in the top of the sixth, Salt Lake scored four times in the bottom of the inning, with Adam Casillas driving in two runs.

In the opener, Anthony Blackmon had a two-run home run and drove in three runs in support of Salt Lake starter Kurt Stange (1-1), who pitched five innings. Frank Colston, the Pioneer League’s leading hitter with a .465 average, had a run-scoring single for the Trappers, who played before an estimated crowd of 5,000 at 9,800-seat Derks Field.