Comeback Falls Short for Salt Lake at Tacoma
The Salt Lake Bees late-game rally fell just short against the Tacoma Rainiers on Wednesday evening, losing by a score of 5-4. Jack Lopez recorded the third multi-homer game of his career with a pair of big flies at Cheney Stadium. The Bees trailed 5-2 through five innings and struggled
The Salt Lake Bees late-game rally fell just short against the Tacoma Rainiers on Wednesday evening, losing by a score of 5-4. Jack Lopez recorded the third multi-homer game of his career with a pair of big flies at Cheney Stadium.
The Bees trailed 5-2 through five innings and struggled to score through the middle part of the game, failing to cross the plate in four consecutive frames until scoring a pair in the eighth inning.
Jordyn Adams got the Bees on the board early, leading the game off with a single before stealing his 15th base of the season, placing him tied for third in the PCL. Adams advanced to third on a groundout, and later crossed home after a passed ball on Tacoma catcher Michael Papierski. The Rainiers quickly grabbed the lead in response, plating three runs in the home half of the first inning as J.P. Crawford started the inning with a leadoff walk and scored after Jonatan Clase roped his third triple of the season. With one-out, Cade Marlowe slashed an RBI single to right field past the drawn in Salt Lake infield. Marlowe grabbed his 21st stolen base of the season and advanced to third after an error by Salt Lake’s third baseman, Drew Ellis. Jason Vosler capped the scoring with a sacrifice fly to right field, giving Tacoma a 3-1 advantage. The Bees cut the deficit to one run in the third inning as Lopez mashed his fourth home run of the season over the fence in left field.
Oh, my GOODNESS, Jack López🫢
— Salt Lake Bees (@SaltLakeBees) May 16, 2024
López's fourth big fly of the season pulls us within one in Tacoma! pic.twitter.com/TRhKXIPvyf
Tacoma grabbed a pair in the fifth inning with a two-run home run off the bat of Samad Taylor, his second of the season and extending the Rainier’s lead, 5-2. Lopez struck again in the eighth inning, crushing his fifth home run to right field, and providing a spark for the visiting club. Three consecutive one-out singles tacked on another run as Charles Leblanc muscled an infield single to drive in Elliot Soto.
Make that not ☝️, but ✌️ home runs for Jack López! pic.twitter.com/FULWHTc2JI
— Salt Lake Bees (@SaltLakeBees) May 16, 2024
Ellis managed to reach first with a leadoff single in the ninth inning but was picked off by Tacoma pitcher Brett de Geus to clear the bases and later slam the door on Salt Lake, capturing his fourth save of the season.
Neither team’s starter went beyond two innings as the Bees utilized their bullpen after Davis Daniel was called up by the Los Angeles Angels earlier on Wednesday, using five arms as Travis MacGregor (L,0-2) earned the start. Only one other Salt Lake pitcher allowed runs with Adam Kolarek giving up a pair in the fifth inning via a home run. Levi Stoudt (W, 3-3) fired 5.1 innings in relief for Tacoma and tallied the win.
The Bees continue their six-game series in Tacoma tomorrow with the third game set for 8:05 p.m. MT. Reigning “PCL Pitcher of the Week”, Brett Kerry will start for Salt Lake while former Cy Young winner Dallas Keuchel gets the nod for Tacoma.