Express Rallies for 8-5 Victory Over Bees on Tuesday Night

ROUND ROCK, Texas – The Round Rock Express (10-12) claimed a series-opening victory against the Salt Lake Bees (7-15) with an 8-5 final on Tuesday night at Dell Diamond.

Express reliever RHP Yerry Rodriguez (1-0, 7.20) earned the night’s win despite blowing a save after tossing 2.0 innings that saw one run on one hit and one walk with three punchouts. Salt Lake reliever RHPJose Marté (0-1, 5.40) went home with the loss after allowing three runs, two of which were earned, on three hits and one walk over one inning.

Along the Train Tracks:

• Salt Lake got things going early when RF Jason Martin hit a solo home run in the first inning. In the third, C Chad Wallach hit a single then scored on a single from LF Jordyn Adams to make it a 2-0 game.
• The bottom of the third frame saw Round Rock’s first run of the night as DH Elier Hernandez blasted a solo home run. RF Sandro Fabian and LF Dustin Harris both found home during the fourth thanks to RBI singles from SS Jonathan Ornelas and 3B Jantzen Witte, respectively.
• The Bees put one run on the board in both the sixth and seventh innings to take a 4-3 lead. DH Willie Calhoun scored in the sixth thanks to a bases-loaded walk from CF Bryce Teodosio and SS Elliot Soto was plated in the seventh when the Express committed an error.
• Fabian put the Express in front, 5-4, in the bottom of the seventh inning with a two-RBI single that scored CF Derek Hill and 1B Blaine Crim.
• In the top of the eighth, Salt Lake 2B Cole Tucker tied the game at five apiece when Soto sent him home on a sacrifice bunt.
• Round Rock surged ahead in the home half of the eighth inning thanks to a two-RBI single off the bat of Hernandez and a groundout from Crim that sent Hill across home plate. Express RHP Yerry Rodriguez struck out three straight Bees batters to secure the 8-5 final score.

E-Train Excerpts:

• E-Train DH Elier Hernandez led the way offensively, going 3-for-5 with a solo home run and three RBI. Other batters that recorded multi-hit nights were CF Derek Hill (2-5), RF Sandro Fabian (2-4), SS Jonathan Ornelas (2-4) and 3B Jantzen Witte (2-3). Fabian recorded the only other multi-RBI with two.
• Three Salt Lake batters have previously spent time in a Round Rock uniform. RF Jason Martin, 1B Charles Leblanc and DH Willie Calhoun were all Express teammates during the 2021 season and were all struck out during Tuesday’s eighth inning by former teammate RHP Yerry Rodríguez.
• Round Rock starter RHP Owen White threw 5.1 innings that saw three runs, six hits, one walk and three strikeouts. Reliever LHP Danny Duffy made a 1.2-inning appearance that saw one unearned run and one K.

Next up: Round Rock and Salt Lake will meet for game two of the series on Wednesday, with first pitch at Dell Diamond set for 7:05 p.m. CT. Texas Rangers RHP Max Scherzer (--, --) is scheduled to make a Major League rehab appearance and start the game for the Express against Bees RHP Davis Daniel (0-3, 6.05).

Single game tickets as well as full season and other 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!