Salt Lake Loses Late Lead in Heartbreaker Against Tacoma
The Salt Lake Bees fell short in a heartbreaker against the Tacoma Rainers on Tuesday evening, rallying late to overcome a three-run deficit before ultimately surrendering the lead and getting walked off in the bottom of the ninth by a final score of 8-7. After trailing for the entirety of
The Salt Lake Bees fell short in a heartbreaker against the Tacoma Rainers on Tuesday evening, rallying late to overcome a three-run deficit before ultimately surrendering the lead and getting walked off in the bottom of the ninth by a final score of 8-7.
After trailing for the entirety of the series opener on Monday, the Bees found themselves chasing again throughout the majority of Tuesday’s game. The team took its first lead of the series in the third inning on Michael Stefanic’s first home run of the season, but the Rainiers answered back quickly soon after, scoring three runs in the fourth and two in the fifth off of starter Brett Kerry to take a 6-3 lead. The score would stay right there until the top of the eighth, at which point Salt Lake started to mount its comeback effort. Kicking things off in the inning was reigning PCL Player of the Week Keston Hiura, who took a 2-1 changeup from Tacoma reliever Kirby Snead and demolished it 461 feet over the video board in left field for a solo home run, his 12th longball in 18 games since joining the team on June 11. A walk by Jordyn Adams two batters later brought the tying run to the plate in the form of Jack López, and the Bees utilityman came through in the clutch, taking Snead deep to the opposite field for a two-run dinger that tied the game up at six apiece.
JACK LOPEZ TIES THE GAME IN THE 8TH WITH A TWO-RUN SHOT! pic.twitter.com/QK3DXvPG3G
— Salt Lake Bees (@SaltLakeBees) July 3, 2024
Once the ninth inning rolled around, Salt Lake kept its foot on the gas, with back-to-back singles by Charles Leblanc and Adams and a walk by Chad Wallach against Joey Krehbiel loading the bases with two outs for D’Shawn Knowles. The outfielder worked the count full against Krehbiel, and on the sixth pitch of the at-bat, he laid off a 94-mph fastball low and inside to draw a clutch walk that gave the Bees the lead once again.
D'Shawn Knowles draws a bases-loaded walk with two outs in the ninth and we've come all the way back to take the lead!! pic.twitter.com/Gi5A9xVqHJ
— Salt Lake Bees (@SaltLakeBees) July 3, 2024
This advantage would not end up holding, however, as the Rainiers put together a rally of their own in the bottom of the ninth off of closer Bryan Shaw. After getting the first out of the inning in quick order, the veteran righty surrendered a five-pitch walk to Jonatan Clase, who would proceed to steal second and take third on a throwing error by Wallach. Two batters later, Shaw induced a ground ball that looked to be a tailor-made out at home plate, but after fielding it cleanly, he flipped it over the head of Wallach to allow the tying run to come across. Salt Lake intentionally walked the next batter to load the bases and set up a potential double play, and after working to a full count against Samad Taylor, Shaw missed up and in with a cutter to bring the winning run home for Tacoma.
The Bees will now try to put this game behind them on Wednesday in the last game of their road trip before the series shifts back to Salt Lake for three more. Kenny Rosenberg is currently set to take the ball for first pitch at 7:05 p.m., while Tacoma sends Casey Lawrence to the mound to oppose him.