Late Rally Stings Bees, Drop Series Opener to River Cats
The Salt Lake Bees were defeated by the Sacramento River Cats on Tuesday night at Smith’s Ballpark as the deciding moments came in the ninth inning with the River Cats breaking the deadlock with a four-run frame to clinch the series opening game. Despite the lack of offensive production, Brett
The Salt Lake Bees were defeated by the Sacramento River Cats on Tuesday night at Smith’s Ballpark as the deciding moments came in the ninth inning with the River Cats breaking the deadlock with a four-run frame to clinch the series opening game.
Despite the lack of offensive production, Brett Kerry was phenomenal on the bump for the Bees in his 13th start of the season. Kerry tied his Triple-A high with nine punchouts on the night as the last time the righty totaled nine strikeouts was on Sept. 6, 2023, with Salt Lake versus the Tacoma Rainiers. Kerry recorded at least one strikeout in five of his six innings, including two in the first, second, third, and fifth innings. Sacramento used the long ball to get to Kerry in the second inning as Jerar Encarnación sent a solo home run to right field. The only other run Kerry allowed came in the following inning after a couple of base hits with an error drove home another run. With Tuesday’s stellar start, the righty added another quality start to this season’s total, racking up seven. Ryan Miller and Bryan Shaw (L, 0-4) entered out of the bullpen as Miller pitched two scoreless innings before Shaw allowed four runs to cross in the ninth inning. On the other side of the diamond, Carson Seymour added his own quality start while Spencer Bivens (W, 5-0) finished the last two innings and earned his fifth win of the season.
The Bees were first to score in the tight affair as Jake Marisnick led off the first inning with a single before Jason Martin grounded into a fielder’s choice, but a wild throw from second baseman Marco Luciano allowed Marisnick to score and Martin to reach third. After the Bees were unable to drive in a second run, Encarnación introduced himself to Salt Lake with a solo home run, his fifth of the season. In the next inning, Sacramento grabbed its first lead of the series as Christian Koss led off the inning with a single and later scored after Casey Schmitt punched a one-out single into right field and with the help of an error by Bryce Teodosio, allowed Koss to score from first. In the inning, the River Cats were able to pack the bases full, but a clutch bases-loaded strikeout ended the frame. The Bees leveled the score at two runs apiece in the fifth inning with Marisnick slashing the third consecutive one-out single, scoring Jack Lopez from third. The scoring picked back up in the ninth inning as Grant McCray laid down a bunt single with runners on the corners with one out, scoring the go-ahead run while reaching safely. The River Cats loaded the bases for Luciano, who blooped a two-RBI single into left field, extending Sacramento’s lead, 5-2. The final run of the inning came across after Schmitt lifted a sacrifice fly into right field, driving in the final River Cats’ run. The Bees didn’t go away quietly, loading the bases with two outs for Marisnick, but a game-sealing strikeout snapped the River Cats eight-game losing streak.
The Bees and the River Cats will face off again tomorrow for the second game of this six-game series at Smith’s Ballpark with first pitch slated for 6:35 p.m. Southpaw Kenny Rosenberg and right-hander Mason Black will each make their first starts of the series, looking to give their team the series edge.