Bees Defend the Diamond Against Sacramento

The Salt Lake Bees (42-43, 5-6) played like superheroes to avenge Thursday and Friday’s losses with a 14-6 trouncing of the Sacramento River Cats (40-45, 6-5) on Marvel Defenders of the Diamond Night at Smith’s Ballpark on Saturday in front of 9,514 fans.

After jumping out to a lead in the first on a Kevin Padlo RBI double, the Bees stung hard in the second inning, loading the bases four times with the following batter getting a hit each time. Stefanic was first, moving everyone 90 feet with an RBI single, Daniel Murphy then placed a two-RBI single into right field, a walk reloaded the bases for a Livan Soto RBI single that kept it full before Jack Lopez finished off a seven-run onslaught for Salt Lake with a bases-clearing double. Salt Lake kept pouring it on in the third, coming right back with a five-run frame on a Murphy RBI single, Soto RBI and back-to-back run-scoring doubles by Lopez and Preston Palmeiro to put the Bees up by 13. Sacramento showed signs of life with a two-homer fourth inning and two-run sixth inning, cutting Salt Lake’s advantage to eight runs. The scoring finally calmed down late as both teams notched a run in the seventh to round out the night’s offense.

Bees starter Kenny Rosenberg earned his seventh win of the year on the mound and became the Pacific Coast League strikeout leader with 10 K’s on the night, tying his career-high and the season-high for any Bees pitcher. He went five innings allowing six hits, totally dominant other than a four-hit, three-run fourth inning for Sacramento.

Salt Lake returns to action in Smith’s Ballpark tomorrow at 1:05 p.m. for their series finale with the Sacramento River Cats.