Every time he takes the mound, Josh Fogg feels more like himself.

The big-league veteran won for the second time in three starts Sunday, helping the Sky Sox top Tacoma 7-5 in a game that featured 12 extra-base hits – including three homers off Fogg.

“I’m starting to get some of the arm strength that I didn’t have at the end of spring training,” Fogg said. “I’m getting to the point where I can let the ball go a little bit.”

Before this year, Fogg left every spring as a starter with 30 or more innings of arm-building repetitions behind him.

As a reliever, he threw only 12 innings this spring.

“It’s just been a different year for me, I’ve never prepared this way and it was completely different,” said Fogg, who has 62 wins with the Pirates, Rockies and Reds. “I don’t feel great yet, but I’m getting closer.”

He was good enough Sunday as the Sky Sox moved to 12-5, their best-ever start. Fogg blanked Seattle’s top affiliate over six innings, giving up four hits and walking one – of course that’s not counting the three home runs, which led to four runs.

“There were some home runs that might have gone to Kansas,” said Rene Lachemann, the Sky Sox hitting instructor who filled in as manager while Tom Runnells attended his mother’s 90th birthday party in Greeley.

Tacoma wasn’t the only team hitting the ball hard. The Sky Sox had three doubles, three triples and Dan Ortmeier collected his first homer on a line smash that never climbed much higher than the fence it cleared.

“I’m still unsure about the ballpark,” Ortmeier said. “It’s big out there, and I didn’t know for sure. I knew I hit it well, but I didn’t know if it would go out. It’s good to get the first one out of the way.”

A Kenny Perez single scored Matt Miller in the sixth inning, helping Colorado Springs break a 4-4 tie and allowing Fogg to earn the victory.

Now Fogg will learn what that might be worth.

Opportunity is knocking for the Sky Sox pitchers, or at least it should be.

Only two healthy Rockies starters – Jason Marquis (4.10) and Jorge De La Rosa (3.78) – have ERAs under 7.50. Matt Daley already was plucked out of the Sky Sox bullpen, and a starter might not be far behind.

“Those guys have proven what they can do, they’re going to be in the rotation for a while,” Fogg said of his former Colorado teammates. “Obviously, I didn’t sign to play here, but I’m going to be here as long as they want me to. If the need arises for a starter, hopefully they’ll give me a call. Otherwise, I’m going to stay here and keep trying to help this team win.”

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