After two consecutive rain outs on Thursday and Friday night, the Salt Lake Bees split the first of two doubleheaders with the Las Vegas Aviators on Saturday night.
After two consecutive rain outs on Thursday and Friday night, the Salt Lake Bees split the first of two doubleheaders with the Las Vegas Aviators on Saturday night.
The Bees five-game winning streak came to an end in game one as the Aviators used a five-run second inning to secure an 8-2 victory. Las Vegas' pitching staff held the Bees to two runs on five hits and allowed no extra-base hits. Aviators pitcher Paul Blackburn (5-1) collected the win after tossing five innings to start and Wei-Chung Wang fired two innings of hitless ball to close the game. Patrick Sandoval (0-1) was tagged with the loss in his third start of the season as he went one and two-thirds innings and allowed five runs (zero earned) on five hits. Matt Thaiss highlighted the Bees offense, going 2-for-3 with two runs scored.
In the second game of the doubleheader, the Bees would go on to win 4-2. César Puello put Salt Lake on the board first with a solo home run in the bottom of the second. After Las Vegas responded with a run of their own in the top of the next frame, Kaleb Cowart drove in two runs on a double and Wilfredo Tovar followed up the next at-bat with a RBI-single of his own in the bottom of the fourth frame to take a 4-1 lead. The Aviators tacked on one run in the top of the sixth as Jeremy Rhoades came in to relive, but Rhoades got out of the jam with two runners stranded on base. Jose Suarez (2-0) earned his second win of the season, pitching five innings and allowing only one earned while striking out five batters. Taylor Ward's active on-base streak of 34 games was snapped in game two as he went 0-for-3. Ward reached base safely in 34 consecutive Triple-A games with his streak dating back to Aug. 8 of last season. Game two was also Pack the Park Pink Night at Smith's Ballpark the night raised $18,975 dollars for Huntsman Cancer Institute's fight to end the disease.
The Bees and Aviators will play another doubleheader Sunday with first pitch of game one scheduled for 12:05 p.m. and game two coming 30 minutes after the conclusion of game one. Per Minor League Baseball rules both games will be seven innings. The series will then conclude with a Smith's Family Night Monday game with four tickets and four hot dogs available for $24 on www.slbees.com.
