Salt Lake Drops Low-Scoring Affair Against Sacramento

The Salt Lake Bees had their four-game winning streak snapped on Saturday evening, dropping their first game of their series against the Sacramento River Cats by a final score of 4-2.

After scoring 49 combined runs over the first four games of their homestand, the Bees lineup finally hit a cold spell on Saturday, failing to break through against a River Cats pitching staff headed by starter Tommy Romero. The righty made it through five strong innings, allowing just one unearned run on an error committed on a Drew Ellis ground ball while striking out four and walking one. Salt Lake manufactured another run to tie the game up at two apiece in the sixth inning when a wild pitch from Juan Sanchez allowed Jason Martin to stroll home, but that would be it for the team offensively for the rest of the game, as Sacramento closer Spencer Bivens held the Bees hitless through the final three innings to earn the win and slam the door shut.

Tieeeeeeed up‼️

Jason Martin scores on a wild pitch and we're even at Smith's! pic.twitter.com/XOQ3c0NmNO

— Salt Lake Bees (@SaltLakeBees) May 12, 2024

Salt Lake’s pitching staff did its best to match the effort from the River Cats, beginning with the best start of Houston Harding’s young Triple-A career. Harding made it through a season-high 4.2 innings and allowed just two earned runs on four hits, keeping the score close through the first half of the game. Travis MacGregor and Tyler Thomas followed this with an even better showing in relief, combining to hold Sacramento hitless over 3.1 innings while the bats leveled things up. Unfortunately for the home team, Sacramento’s breakthrough came in the ninth inning against Jose Marte, with the dagger coming via a two-out, two-RBI single from Drew Cavanaugh that gave his squad the lead for good.

The Bees will now try to end the series against Sacramento on a high note on Sunday afternoon, with Kenny Rosenberg set to toe the rubber at 1:05 p.m.