Series Preview: Bees Return Home For Six-Game Series Against Round Rock Express

The 9-9 Salt Lake Bees are heading into a six-game home series with the 10-8 Round Rock Express after concluding a six-game series with the Las Vegas Aviators at Las Vegas Ballpark.

Salt Lake comes into the series on a hot streak winning the last four games in Sin City including two shutouts in the last three games and won the last game of the series in blowout fashion 12-0.

Jo Adell swung a red hot stick in Las Vegas. Adell went 9-27 (.333 .avg) and crushed six home runs with 10 RBIs. After an incredible showing against the Aviators, Adell leads Triple-A in home runs (10), extra base hits (14), is tied for second most RBIs with teammate Scott Schebler (20) and has as many home runs as 14 Minor League Teams.

Outfielder Brennon Lund is also coming off a huge series in Las Vegas. Lund went 8-21 (.380 .avg) against the Aviators and got on base 13 times. He flexed his power with three homers, two doubles and brought nine Bees base runners in to score. Lund has belted five dingers this season, nearly matching his career-high of eight in a season. Lund is batting .281 on the season with a .369 OBP.

Second baseman Kean Wong continues to be Mr. Reliable. He went 7-25 against the Aviators and is tied for most hits in Triple-A (27). Wong has a .351 batting average on the year and has only had one game where he did not reach base safely.

Scott Schebler is on a 10-game hit streak and is in a three way tie for third most homeruns (6) in Triple-A with Bees third baseman Jake Gatewood. Gatewood stepped up in a huge offensive role for the Bees against Las Vegas. Four of Gatewood’s seven hits against the Aviators were home runs and he racked up six RBIs.

Salt Lake’s starting pitchers were unstoppable in Las Vegas with Jake Faria, Packy Naughton and Jake Buchanan all picking up their first wins of the season.

On Sunday, Naughton diced up the Aviators offense. After walking the first batter he faced, Naughton retired 18 consecutive Las Vegas batters. Naughton had a no-hitter with two outs in the eighth inning when a double by the Aviators ruined his no-hit bid. Naughton finished with 7.2 innings pitched, one hit, 0 earned runs and eight strikeouts. Faria pitched 6.0 innings with four earned runs and five strikeouts on Sunday and on Monday Buchanan pitched 4 innings and gave up one hit and struck out three batters.

The Round Rock Express are coming to Smith’s Ballpark on a five game losing streak after winning the first of a six-game series against the Tacoma Reiners. Round Rock was outscored 38-27 by Tacoma.

There will be plenty of power on display in this series as the top five home run leaders of Triple-A West belong to Round Rock and Salt Lake. Express left fielder Jason Martin is second on the home run leader board (7) and first basemen Curtis Terry is a part of the three way tie for third most Triple-A home runs with Gatewood and Schebler.

The first pitch of the series will be at 6:35 MDT at Smith’s Ballpark in Salt Lake City.