Bees Drop Eighth Straight Game as Comets Take Series Opener

SOUTH JORDAN, UT. - A flashy starting pitching matchup with rehabbing MLB stars was the hook for Tuesday’s series opener between Oklahoma City and Salt Lake. However, seven early runs by the visitors ended the intrigue early, soaring the Comets over the Bees 10-6. Despite a trio of homers, Salt Lake fell in an eighth straight contest and second consecutive home game.

Oklahoma City 10, Salt Lake 6

WP: José Rodríguez (3-2)

LP: Yusei Kikuchi (0-1)

Key Performers

Yolmer Sánchez: 2-4, HR, 3 RBI, R, K

Gustavo Campero: 1-4, HR, RBI, R, BB, K

Kyren Paris: 1-5, HR, RBI, R, 3 K

Cade Marlowe: 1-2, 2B, RBI, R, 2 BB

Game Summary

A battle of big leaguers started the week-long series between the Bees and Comets, as the Angels’ Yusei Kikuchi and Dodgers’ Blake Snell took the bump Tuesday for rehab assignments with their respective squads.

Oklahoma City got to Kikuchi in the first, scoring three times in the frame. Ryan Ward punctuated the trio of runs with his two-run double into the right field corner. Kyren Paris led off the home half, getting one back off Snell with his ninth homer of the season that landed in the first row of seats above the bullpen.

The visitors extended their lead with two outs in the second, generating a run on four straight walks that ended Kikuchi’s start. Ward made it 6-1 with his second two-run hit, collecting four RBI over his first two at-bats.

An RBI from the nine-hole hitter pushed the advantage to 7-1 Comets in the third, but Salt Lake responded in the home half. Gustavo Campero tagged Snell with a solo shot into the left center seats to start the frame, before the Bees scratched across one more on a Cade Marlowe double to make it 7-3 after the first third of the contest.

Jared Southard posted two zeros from the ‘pen, finishing the night with 3.1 innings of work. That solid relief was imperative for Salt Lake to stay in the contest. Yolmer Sánchez rewarded the righthander’s effort in the bottom of the fifth. With two runners on, Sánchez fought off eight pitches before sending the ninth pitch of his at-bat onto the right field berm to close the gap to 7-6 Oklahoma City.

The Comets added to their lead in the seventh, scratching across a pair on two hits and a hit batsman to go up 9-6. In the ninth, two singles helped Oklahoma City grab insurance at 10-6. Salt Lake went down in order in the bottom half, cementing their eighth straight defeat and second consecutive at home.

Game Notes

• Salt Lake suffered their eighth consecutive defeat, marking the team's longest losing skid since June 10-17, 2025 against Las Vegas and Sacramento.

• All 18 starting hitters in Tuesday’s game reached at least once, with Hyeseong Kim’s ninth-inning walk completing the feat. The only hitter on either side to not reach base safely was Omar Martinez, who entered as a pinch hitter in the eighth inning.

• Salt Lake has homered in five straight home games, sending three over the wall on Tuesday night making them 13-3 when hitting three or more homers in a single game. Salt Lake has hit 42 home runs at home since June 1, tying Tacoma for the home runs hit at home in that timeframe.

• In 57 pitches, Yusei Kikuchi threw 1.2 innings of six-run baseball, allowing three hits and five walks while striking out four. Currently working his way back from left shoulder inflammation, this marked the southpaw’s first Triple-A rehab appearance since his 2022 game with the Buffalo Bisons.

• Kyren Paris started Salt Lake’s hitting chances with his second professional leadoff homer and first at Triple-A. He previously started the bottom of the first with a bang on April 23, 2023 with Double-A Rocket City against Biloxi. Paris has back-to-back games with an extra-base hit (double at Sugar Land on Sunday, August 2).

• Christian Moore’s free pass extended his on-base streak to five games. The infielder continues to pace the PCL with his league-leading .425 OBP.

• Niko Kavadas tallied two singles Tuesday, marking three straight multi-hit ledgers. The Notre Dame alum has hits in five of his last six games and is batting 8-for-19 (.421) since ending a long slump.

• A walk moved Cade Marlowe’s on-base streak to eight games. He swiped his second base as a Bee in the same trip on the bags, moving to 26-for-29 on the season and occupies fourth place on the PCL rankings. Marlowe doubled in a run in his next at-bat, his first two-bagger as a Bee as well as his 65th career Triple-A double. He has 24 doubles this season, moving into a tie for fifth most in the PCL.

• Logan Porter drew two free passes tonight in his first multi-walk effort of the season. It is his first 2+ base-on-balls contests since September 20, 2025 with Sacramento. The designated hitter has reached in 16 of the 19 total games he has played with Salt Lake this season and currently holds an on-base streak of three games.

• Gustavo Campero tallied Salt Lake’s second solo shot of the night, finding the left center outfield seats with his sixth as a Bee. It is his second consecutive home game with a longball (July 26 vs. Omaha) and second total big fly off a left-handed arm. Since the catcher’s debut on July 21, no PCL hitter has more than Campero (six) and is tied with Omaha’s Gavin Cross for most in Triple-A in that span.

• Ben Gobbel singled and scored, marking his third consecutive game with a hit. He snapped a six-game streak without scoring a run, last doing so on July 23 vs. Omaha.

• Raudi Rodriguez collected his first Triple-A hit in the fourth inning, driving a 106.8 MPH single into left. The outfielder was called up from Double-A Rocket City on August 3, but appeared in his first career Triple-A contest tonight. Rodriguez also drew his first walk at the level and has 60 walks across Double-A and Triple-A.

• Yolmer Sánchez crushed his first homer since July 12 in Sacramento. On the ninth pitch of his fifth inning at-bat, the veteran sent a three run blast to the berm in right to get the Bees within one. The three RBI are the most for Sánchez in a game since June 20 vs. Tacoma when he also brought in a trio of runs. He added a single for a multi-hit night and now has consecutive games with at least one hit.

• Entering early from the arm barn tonight was Jared Southard. The reliever settled the game down with 3.1 innings in relief. He yielded one run over four hits, walked one and struck out a Comet. Tuesday is tied for the righty’s longest outing this season, matching a May 15 performance vs. El Paso. Southard has been solid over his last six outings, holding a 2.45 ERA over 7.1 innings with seven strikeouts.

• Making his Triple-A debut tonight was Leonard Garcia. The Venezuelan reliever logged two innings of work in his first appearance with Salt Lake, allowing two runs on three hits. Garcia collected his first strikeout at the level, punching out Hyeseong Kim in the seventh inning. Garcia was called up from Rocket City yesterday, after making 35 appearances with the Trash Pandas. His two innings of work is his most at any level since June 30 with Rocket City.

• Making his second appearance for Salt Lake, right-hander Alex Faedo logged 1.2 innings of work, his longest Triple-A outing since July 4 of last season with Durham. He surrendered one run on three hits while striking out two and issuing three walks.

• Rob Kaminsky retired the only batter he faced on a single pitch, forcing a groundout. The southpaw has now delivered scoreless performances in two of his last three appearances.

Up Next

The Bees and Comets do battle again Wednesday as the Utah Dirty Sodas take the field. First pitch is set for 6:35 p.m. MDT from South Jordan.