Round Rock Falls 6-5 to Salt Lake in Series Opener

SALT LAKE, Utah – The Round Rock Express (32-26) fell 6-5 to the Salt Lake Bees (28-30) in Tuesday night’s series opener at Smith’s Ballpark after an eighth-inning Bees home run. The 6-5 loss is just the fourth one-run game that the E-Train has lost this season after previously posting an 11-3 record in one-run games.

Round Rock reliever RHP Chase Lee (2-1, 3.73) was tagged with the loss after giving up a go-ahead homer in the eighth after the bullpen had worked 4.0 straight scoreless innings. Salt Lake reliever RHP Gerado Reyes (2-2, 4.64) earned the win after holding the Express hitless with five strikeouts in his 2.0 innings of work.

Along the Train Tracks

• Express starter RHP James Marvel escaped a bases-loaded jam in the first inning and his offense helped him out in the second as DH Yoshi Tsutsugo’s groundout allowed C Sam Huff to score, giving the E-Train a 1-0 lead.
• Salt Lake posted five runs after batting through their whole lineup in the bottom of the third and took a 5-1 lead thanks to three hits, two walks and one hit batter.
• Round Rock answered back with three runs over the following two innings. SS Davis Wendzel recorded an RBI single in the fourth and a duo of RBI singles in the fifth from 3B Justin Focsue and 1B Blaine Crim cut the deficit to one run.
• The Express tied the game at 5-5 in the sixth thanks to a P. Martinez sacrifice fly that plated Wendzel.
• The Bees took the lead in the bottom of the eighth when CF Jordyn Adams launched a solo home run to right field to break the tie and put Salt Lake ahead 6-5.
• In the ninth, Foscue drew a two-out walk but Round Rock could not get him home and fell 6-5.

E-Train Excerpts:

• In his return to the Express lineup, CF J.P. Martinez went 1-for-4 with an RBI and a strikeout.
• Texas Rangers RHP Joe Barlow saw action in Tuesday’s game in a rehab outing out of the bullpen. The righty threw one scoreless inning and allowed no hits while striking out one batter.
• Round Rock 1B Blaine Crim and SS Davis Wendzel posted multi-hit outings. Crim finished the night 2-for-2 with one double, one RBI and two walks while Wendzel hit 2-for-4 with one RBI.

Next up: Round Rock will play on Wednesday in a matinee matchup with Salt Lake. First pitch is slated for 1:05 p.m. CT with Express RHP Cole Winn (1-4, 8.53) scheduled to face off against Bees RHP Mason Erla (0-1, 8.59).

Single game tickets as well as full season and mini season membership plans are on sale now. For more information about the Express, visit RRExpress.com or call (512) 255-2255. Subscribe to the E-Train email newsletter and keep up with the Express on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter!