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If Salt Lake's Luis Jimenez isn't careful, he's going to get a reputation.
Not known for his power, Jimenez blasted a pair of home runs Friday night, leading the Bees to a 14-5 victory over Reno at Smith's Ballpark.
In the last three games, Jimenez has blasted four homers. That's as many as he hit in 48 games with Salt Lake last season.
"Just working hard, trying to get better every day," Jimenez said. "Just see the ball and hit it. That's what I'm trying to do."
Asked if he was trying to add power to his list of credentials, he smiled and said, "Not really. I'm just trying to put the ball in play right now."
Jimenez already has seven homers this season. He is 9-for-22 with six RBIs in his last eight games.
"He's been a solid performer his whole career," manager Keith Johnson said. "... What you're seeing now is par for the course for him."
In the opener of an eight-game homestand, the Bees jumped on Reno starter Bo Schultz for five runs in the bottom of the first inning.
Taylor Lindsey led off with a double into the right-field corner. Matt Long followed with an RBI double before Jimenez drilled a 3-2 pitch over the fence in left center.
Leading 3-0, Efren Navarro and C.J. Cron kept things going with back-to-back singles. After Schultz finally retired a batter, Roberto Lopez' double scored Navarro and Cron.
Didi Gregorious temporarily kept Reno close with a two-run homer in the third, but Salt Lake quickly pulled away again.
Cron's two-run homer in the bottom half of the inning made it 7-2 before the Bees exploded for four more in the fifth.
After Brennan Boesch doubled home one run, Jimmy Swift singled in another. Lindsey greeted reliever Alex Sanabia with a two-out, two-run triple to give Salt Lake an 11-2 advantage.
In the sixth, Reno imploded.
Following Jimenez' leadoff homer, Cron singled. With one out, Boesch appeared to ground into a force play, but umpire Nick Mahrley ruled that second baseman Nick Ahmed's throw pulled Gregorious, the shortstop, off the bag.
Reno manager Phil Nevin was ejected arguing the call and, one batter later, Sanabia was booted for saying something else to Mahrley.
Before the inning ended, the Bees scored again on RBI singles by Lopez and Swift to make it 14-2. —
Bees 14, Aces 5
O Luis Jimenez hits two homers.
• C.J. Cron goes 3-for-5 and scores four runs. He also hits a two-run homer.
• Starting pitcher Matt Shoemaker allows four earned runs in 62⁄3 innings.