Salt Lake’s Ninth Inning Rally Steals Series Opener in El Paso

EL PASO, TEXAS. - Salt Lake entered the ninth inning down 3-2 with only three outs to work with. They rallied for two runs in the frame, snagging a 4-3 advantage. Kaleb Ort worked around traffic in the home half, getting some help from his defense to complete the Tuesday night victory. Caden Dana set the tone early with his third quality start of the season.

Salt Lake 4, El Paso 3

WP: Leonard Garcia (1-0)

LP: Alek Jacob (5-5)

SV: Kaleb Ort (8)

Key Performers

Pablo Reyes: 3-3, 2 R, 2B, 3B, 2B, BB

Kyren Paris: 2-5, R, HR, RBI, K

Caden Dana: 6.0 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 5 K, ND

Game Summary

A hitless first inning got the series started on Tuesday, but Pablo Reyes awoke the bats quickly in the second. The former Chihuahua tripled to left field to begin the frame before scoring on Raudi Rodriguez’s RBI groundout that made it 1-0 Salt Lake.

Caden Dana started his outing with 2.1 no-hit innings, yielded his first two hits (both singles) in the third that allowed El Paso to even the score at 1-1. Kyren Paris led off the fourth with his 12th longball of the season, wasting no time giving the Bees a lead back at 2-1.

The Salt Lake starter continued to have success, retiring five in a row and making it through five innings yielding the lone run. El Paso tied the game in the sixth after a leadoff triple and sacrifice fly started the frame. A single and an error put the hosts in position to go ahead, but Dana struck out the next two hitters to complete a quality start and keep the game tied.

In the eighth, Christian Moore walked for the ninth straight game, and along with Paris’ single, created a two-out opportunity for the Bees with hot-hitting Gustavo Campero up. However, the left fielder struck out, ending the threat.

El Paso used all offensive phases in the bottom half to take the lead. New Chihuahua Gage Workman singled, stole second, advanced 90 feet on a groundout and scored the go-ahead run on Ethan Salas’ sacrifice fly to center for a 3-2 lead. El Paso loaded the bases, but Leonard Garcia kept the bags full of Chihuahuas to give his offense a shot.

Reyes started Salt Lake’s ninth-inning rally with a single, his third hit of the night. Another single and a walk loaded the bases with one out for Cade Marlowe. The outfielder came up clutch, lifting a fly ball deep enough for Reyes to score and knot the ballgame at 3-3. A Niko Kavadas walk paved the way for Moore to come through the easy way, drawing a go-ahead, bases-loaded walk to put Salt Lake in front 4-3.

As he did last Saturday, Kaleb Ort came in looking to slam the door on a win. The righty got some help from his defense, as a fielder’s choice got the lead runner at third. With two outs and the tying and winning runs on base, Ort got Salas to lift a ball deep into center field where Raudi Rodriguez made the running grab that sealed a come-from-behind series opening victory.

Game Notes

• Salt Lake tallied their first series opening win since taking a Friday night opener 9-8 against Reno on July 17. It is the Bees’ first Tuesday victory since June 16 vs. Tacoma, as Salt Lake held serve at home with a 10-6 decision. Tonight’s win snaps a losing streak of six straight Tuesday contests. This win also is the first road victory in the month of August for Salt Lake, having lost their first two tries in Sugar Land via walk-off.

• Down 3-2 after eight innings, Salt Lake scored two in the ninth to win. It is the Bees’ second victory when they’ve trailed after eight complete innings (previously 1-54), last doing so against Tacoma on May 23 (a 6-5 walk-off win in 10 innings). It is the first time Salt Lake has accomplished a win in this situation on the road (0-27 before tonight). Tonight marks the Bees’ 36th come-from-behind win, tied with Double-A Amarillo for the second most wins in Minor League Baseball (Tulsa leads with 38 W).

• After conceding the first score in eight of their last nine games, Salt Lake has tallied the game’s first run in consecutive contests. They are 1-1 in these two games, losing to Oklahoma City on Sunday and winning tonight in El Paso.

• The Bees have found themselves in three straight one-run games, winning two of the three (Saturday vs. Oklahoma City and tonight). This has been a strong suit for Salt Lake all season long, owning a 16-12 record in one-run margins and improving to 4-6 on the road in that category.

• Caden Dana was responsible for all five strikeouts by the Bees pitching staff in Tuesday’s game. It is the second time this season a Bees starter has thrown at least five strikeouts with the bullpen not having any (4/18 (Game 1) vs. SUG; Dana 7 Ks). It is also the third time this season Dana has collected all of the strikeouts in a single game including July 8 at Sacramento where he tallied four punchouts.

• Recording his third quality start of the season tonight was Caden Dana. The Bees starter spun six innings of two-run ball, allowing five hits, one walk and struck out five, in his first quality start since June 5 vs. Albuquerque. Tonight is tied for Dana’s longest outing of the season, doing so in game one of April 18’s doubleheader vs. Sugar Land and June 5. Tuesday’s efforts is the best start Dana has had in the state of Texas, surpassing a pair of five-inning performances in Sugar Land (2025 and 2026). The right hander has struck out at least three in six straight starts, totalling 27 punchouts.

• Pablo Reyes tallied a three-hit night, falling a home run shy of the cycle in his first game back at Southwest University Park after 56 games with the Chihuahuas earlier this season. He reached in all four plate appearances, as he added a walk to his ledger. Reyes’ triple came in his first at-bat, setting up the game’s first score in the second. Reyes has three triples in 2026, one shy of his single-season career high (four with Triple-A Indianapolis in 2018). The outfielder has two three-base hits in his 20 games with Salt Lake (July 22 vs. Omaha and today). Reyes is batting .365 (35-for-96) with 15 extra-base hits and 18 runs scored in 25 career games at Southwest University Park. Additionally, Reyes has recorded consecutive three-hit ledgers for the first time since July 22-23, 2022 with Triple-A Nashville (both came at Louisville).

• Raudi Rodriguez collected his second career RBI with the Bees, driving home Reyes for the series’ first run. Both of the recent call-up’s RBI have come without recording a hit (bases-loaded walk on Aug. 7 vs. Oklahoma City & groundout tonight).

• Kyren Paris deposited a ball 438 feet into left-center field for his 12th homer of the season, all with Salt Lake. This is Paris’ second career homer at Southwest University Park, the fifth different PCL park he has recorded multiple longballs in. The infielder is one of five league players with four or more homers in the month of August. Paris extended his on-base streak to 28 games, trailing Reno’s Kristian Robinson (29gm) and Sugar Land’s Zach Dezenzo (30gm) for longest active in the league. Paris has at least one hit in eight straight games. An eighth-inning single gave the infielder his second multi-hit effort in the last three games.

• Two singles tonight gave Yolmer Sánchez multi-hit efforts in two of his most recent three games. After having a strikeout in 13 straight games, the veteran utilityman has recorded zero strikeouts in his last three contests.

• Christian Moore drew two walks tonight, marking his ninth consecutive contest with a free pass. His second base-on-balls gave the Bees the lead in the ninth. Moore is tied with Kyren Paris for the Bees’ longest walk streak at any point this season, matching what Paris did between July 18 - 30. Moore’s and Paris’ streaks, along with Charlie Condon (ABQ)’s nine-gamer, only trail an active 15-game streak from Las Vegas’ Drew Swift for the longest at any point in the PCL this year.

• Alex Faedo tallied a scoreless seventh inning, before running into trouble in the eighth. He finished with 1.1 innings pitched and was responsible for allowing what was the go-ahead run in the eighth.

• Tying the game on a ninth-inning sacrifice fly was Cade Marlowe. It is his sixth RBI as a Bee in 14 total appearances with the club. Between his time with Las Vegas and Salt Lake, Marlowe has three sacrifice flies this season.

• Jeimer Candelario walked and scored in the ninth, marking his third straight game with a run scored. He also owns an on-base streak of four games, thanks to his efforts tonight.

• Niko Kavadas drew a walk as a pinch-hitter in the ninth and has reached in 11 of his last 12 games. He is 1-for-4 (.250) with two walks in a team and PCL-leading six pinch-hitting opportunities.

• Leonard Garcia recorded two of the biggest outs tonight, shutting down El Paso’s chance for insurance in the eighth. His efforts eventually helped Salt Lake win the ballgame, thus making him the pitcher of record. It is his first Triple-A win in three chances, all coming this season, as well as his first scoreless outing at the level. He is one win away from his 25th professional victory, currently holding a 24-16 record.

• Kaleb Ort notched his eighth save of the season after closing out the ninth allowing one hit and one walk on 18 pitches and eight strikes. Tonight marked the righty’s 46th appearance, which is good for the outright PCL lead. Ort’s eight saves tied Michael Kelly of Las Vegas for the third most in the Pacific Coast League and are the most saves by a Bee since Jose Marte in 2024.

Up Next

The week-long series rolls on with a Wednesday matinee from West Texas. Salt Lake and El Paso take the field under sunny skies at 12:05 p.m. MDT from Southwest University Park.