Bees Pick Up Series-Clinching Victory Over River Cats in Final Game Before Break
The Salt Lake Bees took home a series victory in the finale against the Sacramento River Cats on Sunday afternoon, going into the All-Star break with a well-earned win by a final score of 4-3. The story of the game on Sunday was the Salt Lake pitching staff, which allowed
The Salt Lake Bees took home a series victory in the finale against the Sacramento River Cats on Sunday afternoon, going into the All-Star break with a well-earned win by a final score of 4-3.
The story of the game on Sunday was the Salt Lake pitching staff, which allowed just three runs on five hits all afternoon in what was one of its most complete performances in the last few weeks. The team handed the ball to Chase Silseth to kick things off in what was his first outing since June 27 in Albuquerque, and the righty shook off some early rust to turn in a solid shift. After loading the bases with just one out in the opening frame, Silseth recorded two key outs in a row to escape the jam and then proceeded to retire the next eight batters he faced after that before being lifted from the game, finishing his day at 3.2 scoreless innings. The rehabbing José Quijada came on in relief of Silseth and finished off the fourth inning with little issues before giving way to Davis Daniel, who gave the Bees some more length out of the bullpen throughout the middle innings of the game in his own return to Salt Lake. Daniel entered in the fifth inning and did not allow any runs through his first two frames, only bending for the first time in the seventh when Hunter Bishop got him for a 450-foot homer for Sacramento’s first run of the day. Things got interesting in the eighth when Jerar Encarnacion took Daniel deep for a two-run shot to cut Salt Lake’s lead down to one, but José Marte came in and put the fire out in that inning before going on to work a clean ninth to lock down the win for the Bees and earn his seventh save of the season.
At the plate, the bats did just enough to take home the victory, using a pair of home runs to keep the team in the lead all afternoon long. The first of these came in the second inning, when Cole Tucker took a 1-0 sinker from Carson Seymour and poked it over the wall in left field for a two-run shot, his second of the season and first since returning to the team on July 9. The Bees got on the board again the next inning on an RBI double by Michael Stefanic, his fourth in the last five games, and to cap off the scoring, Jake Marisnick smoked a solo homer 453 feet out to left field in the seventh to bring Salt Lake’s run total up to four. Pacing the team in hits on the day was Elliot Soto with three, while Stefanic and Jordyn Adams each notched two apiece right behind him.
Cole Tucker brought the Dad Strength back to Smith's Ballpark 💪
— Salt Lake Bees (@SaltLakeBees) July 14, 2024
His first homer since returning to Salt Lake puts us on the board in the second! pic.twitter.com/hywOcRT80J
The Bees will now start the All-Star break, getting four days off before returning to play on Friday on the road against the Las Vegas Aviators for a quick three-game series. The first pitch for the series opener is currently set for 8:05 p.m., with both starters set to be announced later.