E-Train Take Series Finale Over Bees

HOW IT HAPPENED:

The E-Train wasted no time and loaded the bases with the first three batters that came to the plate in the first. 1B Jonah Bride doubled to center field to score two runs. RF Aaron Zavala followed with an RBI single, and 2B Frainyer Chavez added another run with a sacrifice fly. The Bees answered with a run in the bottom half of the frame after DH Niko Kavadas doubled home RF Nelson Rada. Round Rock led 4-1 after the first inning.

Bride grew the Express’ lead to four after he singled to right field, scoring 3B John Taylor, who walked to start the second inning. The Bees quickly cut the deficit to two after Rada’s double sent two runners home. The E-Train held a 5-3 advantage through two.

In the fifth, Round Rock and Salt Lake exchanged runs. In the top half of the inning, CF Orlando Martinez hit a sacrifice fly to center field, allowing Chavez to score from third. Salt Lake SS Yolmer Sánchez brought home a run with an RBI single in the bottom of the frame to make it a 6-4 game.

The E-Train struck for three runs in the sixth. Zavala launched a two-run home run, and Martinez followed with an RBI single, extending the lead to five. The Bees responded with a pair of runs to trim the E-Train lead to three.

Round Rock held onto their three-run lead as they took the series finale by a final score of 9-6.

E-TRAIN EXCERPTS:

WHERE WE STAND: The Express have won 42 road games this season, a new single-season high in the club’s Triple-A era (since 2005)…own a 38-31 record since 6/22, guaranteeing a winning record in the 2nd half of the season…need to win at least 2 of their final 6 games to avoid finishing 10 games below .500 for the 1st time by a Rangers affiliate in 29 years…finished the season with an 8-4 record against the Bees.

INF JONAH BRIDE: raised his season RBI tally to 76 after driving in 3 R on Sunday night… has now hit a career high in a single season … becomes the 6^th Round Rock player since the start of the 2021 season to tally 75+ RBI in a single season and the 1^st since INF Blaine Crim recorded 86 in the 2024 season.

TURNING THE PAGE: After being swept last week by Oklahoma City, the Express rebounded this week and won 5 of 6 in Salt Lake… the Express scored 5+ R in all of their wins this week against Salt Lake… did not score 5 R in any of the games during the six-game set last week against the Comets… batted just .163 (33/203) with 14 R, 7 XBH while striking out 60 times during the OKC series… bounced back this week, slashing .264/.364/.394 with 39 R, 17 XBH while striking out 39 times.

RHP EMILIANO TEODO: was the first man out of the bullpen in his 49^th appearance of the season with Round Rock… needed just one pitch to record the final out in the 2^nd inning… struck out Kavadas with his slider to start the 3^rd… generated an 83 % (5/6) whiff rate with his slider… has allowed just 1 H in 4.1 innings of work in September.

OF AARON ZAVALA: finished the night going 4-for-5 and a triple shy of the cycle on Sunday night… singled in the 1^st and 4^th… doubled in the 2^nd and homered in the 6^th… logged his 31^st double of the season… leads Round Rock batters and is now T-4^th among PCL hitters with 31 doubles… marks his first multi-hit game since 8/27 vs ABQ.

NOTES: After their 4-run 1^st inning, the Express are now 16-7 when scoring multiple runs in the 1^st…recorded 15 hits for the 11^th time this season…are 9-2 in those games...plated 39 runs through 6 games this week, for an average of 6.5 runs per game after scoring 47 runs over their previous 12 games (3.92 per game).

NEXT GAME: Tuesday, September 15 vs Tacoma FIRST PITCH: 6:45 p.m. CT BALLPARK: Dell Diamond

For more information about the Express, visit RRExpress.com or call (512) 255-2255. Subscribe to the E-Train email newsletter and keep up with the Express on Facebook, Instagram and X!