Bees Bullets: Salt Lake Bees Offensive Struggles Lead To Eighth Loss In Nine Games

Apr 23, 2023, 4:05 PM

Digital Sports Producer

SALT LAKE CITY – Back-to-back-to-back Salt Lake Bees home runs for the first time since 2019 helped the Bees prevent a six-game sweep at the hands of the Reno Aces.

The Bees only win of the series came in game one of a Saturday evening doubleheader. Friday night’s game was postponed because of heavy rain.

Celebración!!! @treycabbage 🥬🥬🥬 pic.twitter.com/DHsctJI99K

— Salt Lake Bees (@SaltLakeBees) April 23, 2023

Run scoring was at a premium all week for the Bees as Keith Johnson’s team struggled to put men on base.

Game One: Six hits, three runs, seven K’s, one BB
Game Two: Three hits, one run, two K’s, two BB
Game Three: Four hits, one run, 11 K’s, three BB

Game Four: Four hits, four runs, six K’s, two BB
Game Five: Three hits, two runs, 11 K’s, five BB
Game Six: Four hits, zero runs, seven K’s, six BB

Salt Lake finished the series scoring 11 runs on a paltry 24 hits, stumbling to a 44:19 strikeout-to-walk ratio at the plate. The Bees came into the series averaging 9.4 hits per game but saw that average tumble to four hits per game against the Aces.

Salt Lake finished the series hitting .145 (24-of-166) as a team. Their team batting average fell 31 points during the series. The Bees .242 season average trails only Round Rock and Sugar Land for the worst in the PCL.

Game Four

Salt Lake picked up its first walk-off win of 2023 with a perfect Andrew Velazquez resulting in a Reno throwing error that allowed Jared Oliva to score the winning run. The Bees won 4-3.

Jo Adell, Trey Cabbage, and Kevin Padlo needed three first-inning pitches to stake the Bees to a 3-0 lead. Adell’s MiLB leading ninth home run of the year was followed in quick succession by Cabbage’s fifth bomb. Padlo’s fourth homer run of the year allowed the trio to become the ninth set of Bees to homer back-to-back-to-back.

What do back-to-back-to-back home runs sound like en español? Courtesy of @franvamo
(1/2) pic.twitter.com/CLJhmpbHdH

— Salt Lake Bees (@SaltLakeBees) April 22, 2023

Salt Lake hadn’t hit three consecutive home runs since July 25, 2019.

César Valdez slowed Renp’s offense for four innings until the Aces broke out in the fifth. Valdez gave up three hits and a walk while uncorking a wild pitch before giving way to Jhonathan Diaz with one out in the fifth. Diaz retired the side but the damage had been done with three runs scored.

Game one of a scheduled seven-inning doubleheader crawled into extra innings where Velazquez’s bunt led to the winning run crossing the plate.

IT'S A WALK OFF pic.twitter.com/2glq6TIwIW

— Salt Lake Bees (@SaltLakeBees) April 23, 2023

Zack Weiss (2-0) pitched a clean top of the eight for the win while Zach McAllister (1-1) took the loss.

Game Five

Reno forced a doubleheader split limiting the Bees to three or fewer runs for the fifth straight game in a 3-2 Aces win.

Jordyn Adams committed an error that led to Reno taking a 2-0 lead in the third inning.

Jo Adell’s second homer of the day increased his MiLB lead to ten and cut the Bees deficit in half, 2-1. Two outs and a pitching change later, Anthony Mulrine drew the Bees third straight walk to drive home Michael Stefanic.

What was better, the homer or the catch?👀 pic.twitter.com/twy1isGHAM

— Salt Lake Bees (@SaltLakeBees) April 23, 2023

Reno scored the winning run on a Dominic Canzone sac-fly that scored Phillip Evans.

Justin Martinez (1-0) got the win with Aaron Hernandez (1-1) taking the loss. Jandel Gustave pitched the seventh for his first save of the year.

Game Six

The Bees fell to 9-12 on the season, getting shutout for the first time this season in an 8-0 loss to the Reno Aces.

A pair of Reno doubles gave the Aces a 2-0 first-inning lead as Bees starter Jake Kalish struggled with his command in the early going.

In the fifth inning, Phillip Evans tagged Kalish for a three-run homer that gave the Aces a 5-0 lead. The long ball gave Evans four RBI for the day.

Andrew Velazquez and David Fletcher combined up the middle for the only Bees highlight of the afternoon. ‘Squid’ gloved the bouncing ball and flipped it to Fletcher who turned a double play to end the eighth inning.

Sunday Web💎 pic.twitter.com/bXiMgdnoXw

— Salt Lake Bees (@SaltLakeBees) April 23, 2023

Gerardo Reyes struggled to find the strike zone in the ninth as Reno tacked on three more runs, taking an eight-run lead into the ninth.

The Bees went down in order for their eighth loss in nine games, 8-0. Raffi Vizcaíno (1-0) got the win while Kalish (1-3) took the loss.

Angels, Bees & Baseball Miscellany

Two Los Angeles Angels transactions impacted the Bees on Friday. The Angels called up catcher Chad Wallach to replace Logan O’Hoppe (10-day IL) and relief pitcher Austin Warren. Reliever Jimmy Herget (0-2, 6.23 ERA) was optioned to Salt Lake. Reliever Justin Garza has been designated for assignment.

Two in one day! Austin Warren and Chad Wallach have been called up to the @Angels! pic.twitter.com/znx9Ck9tjm

— Salt Lake Bees (@SaltLakeBees) April 21, 2023

The Angels celebrated their return home with a four-home run Saturday night, including two Hunter Renfroe blasts

The second of the night for Renfroe!#GoHalos pic.twitter.com/BCTt0onHUN

— Los Angeles Angels (@Angels) April 23, 2023

Despite the offensive fireworks, José Quijada imploded in the ninth. Quijada blew the save chance and took the loss when six of the eight batters he faced reached and five scored in the 11-8 Royals win. Quijada (0-1) has a 5.19 ERA in 8.2 innings this season
There must be something in the water the Angels are distributing through the franchise. A day after the Triple-A Bees hit three straight blasts, Taylor Ward, Mike Trout, and Shohei Ohtani hit three solo bombs in a row

WARD ➡️ TROUT ➡️ OHTANI!

Three-straight for the @Angels!

(via @BallySportWest)pic.twitter.com/GAZba2HCpR

— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) April 23, 2023

Chicago Cubs starter Drew Smyly was coasting, throwing a perfect game for 7.2 innings. Until this slow roller ended the dream

Drew Smyly’s perfect game ended on this weak dribbler in the 8th inning 😳 pic.twitter.com/VEg3xHPjjA

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) April 21, 2023

On the east coast, Tampa Bay can’t stop winning in dominating fashion

The Rays historic power surge continues. 💪 pic.twitter.com/az543QeiA6

— MLB (@MLB) April 22, 2023

Shane McClanahan induced some nasty swings & misses today, 32 of them to be exact!

(MLBStats x @GoogleCloud) pic.twitter.com/4Dh42rUaYJ

— MLB Stats (@MLBStats) April 23, 2023

the Rays' 12-0 home record is tied for the 6th-longest home win streak to start a season w/the 1911 Tigers + 1884 Gothams, trailing only:

1880 White Stockings: 21
1886 Wolverines: 18
1884 Maroons: 16
1885 White Stockings: 14
2009 Dodgers: 13 https://t.co/nnNCQNdE5C

— Sarah Langs (@SlangsOnSports) April 22, 2023

The Texas Rangers are looking to turn a corner in 2023. Record-setting performances like this from Adolis García will certainly help

Adolis García had a game for the history books last night! pic.twitter.com/9cz4yGWC24

— MLB Stats (@MLBStats) April 23, 2023

The Boston Red Sox are unloading in Milwaukee. Mastaka Yoshida yanks this grand slam down the line for his second home of the inning

Masataka Yoshida's second homer of the inning was SLAMMED to right! 😱 pic.twitter.com/ySDpYYy01V

— MLB (@MLB) April 23, 2023

Walk-Off Magic

Perfect execution on this infield chopper gives the Baltimore Orioles a win in walk-off fashion over Detroit

HOW ‘BOUT A WALK-OFF? pic.twitter.com/NgdNBLphKb

— Baltimore Orioles (@Orioles) April 22, 2023

DJ LeMahieu crushed Toronto’s hopes of a comeback win with this pinch-hit line drive single to left

New DJ #walkoff track just dropped. 🎵🔥 pic.twitter.com/wnB32E9PmA

— MLB (@MLB) April 22, 2023

The Tampa Bay Rays are a UNIT, plain and simple

.@RaysBaseball remains UNDEFEATED at home. 😤 pic.twitter.com/XNzTRxvjVb

— MLB (@MLB) April 22, 2023

Up Next

Salt Lake faces El Paso in a six-game series April 25- April 30. First pitch Tuesday-Saturday is scheduled for 6:35 p.m. (MT) with a Sunday matinee set for 12:05 p.m. (MT).

Listen to ‘Voice of the Bees’ Steve Klauke on KSL Sports Zone. All Salt Lake Bees games are featured on the KSL Sports app. Purchase tickets to see the Bees play at slbees.com.

KSL Sports coverage of the Salt Lake Bees can be found here