Round Rock Stung By Salt Lake, Drops Game Three 8-3

ROUND ROCK, Texas - Game three of the Round Rock Express (71-60) and Salt Lake Bees (52-79) series did not provid nearly as much drama as its two predecessors as the E-Train was outpaced by the Bees at Dell Diamond Tuesday night, 8-3. The loss was Round Rock's first of the series and snapped a three-game win streak.

Salt Lake went after Round Rock starter Anthony Ranaudo in the top of the second and remembered how to properly run the bases as LF Roger Kieschnick launched a two-run blast to right field that instantly sent the Bees in front, 2-0. Ranaudo recovered with a fly out and a strikeout to evacuate the top half of the inning.

The E-Train finally found some offense in the fifth inning off the bat of 2B Tommy Field as the Austin native lifted a solo shot off Bees starter Adam Wilk that made it a one-run contest. Wilk retired the rest of the lineup in order to send the game into the sixth, hushing any notion of a surge.

Ranaudo worked into the sixth, but stumbled to start the inning by hitting Salt Lake CF Gary Brown with a pitch. ML rehabber Taylor Featherston then punched a single into center field that put two on with no outs. The Round Rock starter went on to walk Bees 3B Kyle Kubitza to load the bases for ML rehabber David Freese. Freese took advantage of Ranaudo's unraveling and sent a deep fly ball to left field for a grand slam that instantly turned the contest into a 6-1 affair. Ranaudo (7-5, 4.42) then surrendered a double and recorded a pop out before being pulled. He went 5.1 innings with five hits, seven runs (seven earned), three walks and four punch-outs. Southpaw Jimmy Reyes entered for Ranaudo and manufactured a ground out to start his night. Reyes then conceded a RBI double to RF Alfredo Marte that added the seventh Salt Lake run of the game, but ended the inning on a ground out.

Round Rock CF Jared Hoying looked to ignite an offensive spark in the home half of the sixth by deflecting a lead-off single off Wilk with LF Drew Stubbs coming to the plate. Hoying made his way to second on a wild pitch and found himself on third after Stubbs popped out to right field. Fellow outfielder Nomar Mazara brought in the second Express run of the night with a RBI single that made the score 7-2. Wilk went on to strikeout SS Ed Lucas, but was put in his place on a double from 3B Joey Gallo that hustled Mazara home for the third E-Train run of game three. The double was the final action Wilk (6-10, 5.55) saw as he finished with 5.2 innings, six hits, three runs (three earned) and seven strikeouts. Salt Lake RHP Kurt Spomer entered for Wilk and got Field to fly out to close the sixth.

The Bees immediately stung back with a lead-off triple from Brown who made his way home seven pitches later on a sacrifice fly from Featherston for an 8-3 Salt Lake advantage. Reyes found relief with a ground out, but was lit for a single by Freese with 1B Efren Navarro coming to bat. The Express lefty only needed one pitch to escape the inning as Navarro hit into a fielder's choice that eradicated Freese at second.

Salt Lake's bullpen quieted the E-Train for the remained of the game as Spomer, LHP Wesley Wright and RHP Jeremy McBryde kept Round Rock off the board to supply the Bees with their first win of the series.

Round Rock and Salt Lake complete the series tomorrow night as Bees LHP Nate Smith (1-3, 7.66) takes on an Express RHP Phil Klein (1-0, 2.31). First pitch is set for 7:05 p.m.

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