Bees Fall in Albuquerque to Open Second Half

The Salt Lake Bees fell short in the series opening game at Isotopes Park, losing 8-4 against the Albuquerque Isotopes to open the second half of the season.

Despite allowing five runs in the first inning, Reid Detmers (L, 1-2) settled down throughout the remaining five innings of his outing. After giving up five earned runs with the help of five hits and two home runs, Detmers totaled 10 punchouts and five scoreless frames to finish his fourth start with Salt Lake. The only other pitcher to contribute to the eight innings was Tyler Thomas, who allowed three runs in two innings of work. All three of Thomas’ runs came in the bottom of the eighth inning after allowing three straight batters to reach with one out, before a devastating bases-loaded two-out knock by Aaron Schunk put the game out of reach.

On the other side of the diamond, Noah Davis (W, 1-2) tallied his second quality start of the season after firing six innings while striking out eight and allowing three runs to score. Chance Adams was the first out of the bullpen and allowed the fourth and final Bees’ run while Riley Pint and Matt Koch evenly split the final two innings to take game one.

The Isotopes struck five times in the first inning as Drew Romo slashed a 2-run home run to left field, his fourth of the season, before Grant Lavigne lifted his 11^th big fly of the season, scoring three runs to give Albuquerque a healthy lead in the first. The Bees didn’t respond until the third inning as Chad Wallach recorded a leadoff triple to set the table, his eighth career triple. D’Shawn Knowles knocked in the first Bees’ run in the ensuing at-bat to cut the deficit to four runs. Salt Lake quickly made it a close game in the fourth inning after Bryce Teodosio rocketed his fourth homer of the season, scoring two runs and pulling the Bees within two, 5-3. The Albuquerque five-run lead shrunk to just one run in the seventh inning after Teodosio walked to start the frame and advanced to third on a Knowles single before Knowles was caught stealing second, allowing Teodosio to scramble home from third. The Isotopes took control of the game in the eighth inning with Willie McIver singling with one out and Lavigne getting hit by a pitch before Julio Carreras drove in a run with a single to right field, making it a 6-4 game. Following a strikeout and a walk to load the bases, Schunk punched a single into left field to stretch the Isotopes’ lead, 8-4. The Bees were unable to gather any momentum in the final frame to finish game one.

The only day game of the series is set for tomorrow afternoon with first pitch slated for 12:05 p.m. David Daniel will make the start on the bump for the Bees while Karl Kauffmann will toe the rubber for the Isotopes for game two.