Bees win first series of 2017 with a sweep of Fresno

Bees win first series of 2017 with a sweep of Fresno

April 19th, 2017 Featured News, MLB, Salt Lake Bees 0 comments

The Salt Lake Bees finished their first home stand of the season with a three-game sweep of the Fresno Grizzlies (AAA affiliate of the Houston Astros). The entertaining series included two unusual walk-off wins by the Bees in games one and two before a big night from Salt Lake’s Eric Yong Jr. propelled the team to its’ fifth win in six games. The Bees improved to 7-6 on the season and flew out to Sacramento Monday night to begin an eight-game road stand, beginning with a four-game series against the Sacramento River Cats.

Game 1: Salt Lake 6, Fresno 5 

Salt Lake took game one of the three-game series against Fresno via a walk-off walk thrown by Grizzlies’ pitcher Jordan Jankowski that brought home Eric Young Jr. in the bottom of the 10th. Fresno got off to a hot start thanks to a two-run shot from Teoscar Hernandez in the top of the second, but the Bees responded in the bottom of the frame with RBI hits from Matt Williams and Shane Robinson to take a 3-2 lead into the top of the third. The offense slowed considerably from that point until Fresno’s Preston Tucker lined a double into left field that scored two runners in the top of the seventh. But, as they had in the second, Salt Lake retook the lead in the bottom of the frame thanks to a two-run double from Sherman Johnson. The Bees’ hopes to end the game in the top of the ninth were dashed when Fresno’s Colin Moran led off with a solo homer to tie the game at 5-5, but Salt Lake closer Justin Miller would retire the next three Grizzlies batters in order to limit the damage. After Salt Lake stranded two base-runners in the bottom of the ninth to send the game to extras, Miller went back to work in the top of the 10th as he retired the next three Fresno batters (the final two via strikeout) to give the Bees a chance for a walk-off win with the top of the order due up in the bottom of the inning. Eric Young Jr. would lead off with his third hit of the night with a single to right field and would quickly steal second to put himself in scoring position with no outs and Shane Robinson at the plate. After Robinson and Ackley were walked to load the bases with no outs, Jankowski could not regain control of his pitches as he walked Ryan LaMarre to end the game 6-5 in favor of the Bees in Salt Lake City.

Game 2: Salt Lake 5, Fresno 4 

For the first time in the franchise’s 24-year history, the Bees would win thanks to a game-ending balk as Salt Lake secured its’ second walk-off win in as many nights against the Grizzlies. Through four and a half innings of play, Fresno would take a 3-0 lead as Salt Lake bats struggled to connect with men on base through the first half of the game. After Sherman Johnson and Shane Robinson knocked in some runs in the bottom of the sixth to breath some life into the Bees’ offense, the Grizzlies would respond with another run in the top of the eighth thanks to an RBI single by Preston Tucker to take a 4-2 lead into the bottom of the ninth. After Robinson singled to lead off the home half of the inning, Ryan LaMarre would send him home with a one-out single to cut the deficit to 4-3. Then, with Nolan Fontana at the plate, Fresno closer Reymin Guduan would make his first critical error as his pick-off attempt got past first baseman A.J. Reed to score Eric Young Jr. (pinch-running for Dustin Ackley) to tie the game and send LaMarre to second. Later in the at-bat, Guduan would cost his team again as his wild-pitch to Fontana send LaMarre to third with only one out. After striking out Fontana to put himself in position to avoid the loss, Guduan concluded his comical bottom of the ninth by balking to give LaMarre a free walk to home plate and a second-consecutive walk-off victory for the Bees on Easter Sunday.

Game 3: Salt Lake 6, Fresno 2 

The Bees out-hit the Grizzlies 15-5 thanks to Eric Young Jr.’s 5-for-5 night as Salt Lake swept Fresno in their first series win of the season. Young Jr. got his hot night started with a double to lead off the home half of the first and was brought home by a Dustin Ackley single later in the inning. Ryan LaMarre and Nolan Fontana would also drive in runs as the Bees took a 3-0 lead into the top of the second. Not to be outdone by Young Jr., Fresno’s Preston Tucker continued his big offensive series by belting a two-run shot over the left-center wall to cut the Salt Lake lead to 3-2. After a scoreless second, third and fourth inning, the Bees got their insurance run back when LaMarre plunked a line drive single into center field to bring home Ackley and take a 4-2 lead. Having already popped a double and three singles into the outfield throughout the game, Young Jr. would complete his 1.000 night at the plate in the bottom of the eighth with another single that would bring in his lone RBI’s of the night in Fontana and Rey Navarro. Young Jr. improved his season batting average to .396 As the Bees took all three games against the Grizzlies before hopping on a flight to Sacramento to begin an eight-game road trip.

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