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It was weather more suited for jackets than jerseys, better for mittens than mitts.
How did the Salt Lake Bees stay warm?
"There's no way," manager Keith Johnson said of the temperatures that dipped into the 30s. "There's no chance you can stay warm in that."
The frigid temperatures at Spring Mobile Ballpark kept most fans at home Tuesday. But the mound was a worse place to be than the bleachers, as the Bees (3-2) were pounded in a 11-3 loss to the Reno Aces (3-2) in the series opener between the clubs.
Reno's assault featured 14 hits, including home runs by Matt Davidson, Tuffy Gosewich and Kila Ka'aihue. Adding to the trouble, the Bees committed four errors and walked eight batters, giving the Aces a firm advantage in the runs department.
Only a few hundred fans braved the unseasonably frosty conditions to watch the home team get hammered by the Aces. By the ninth, there were as many spectators as players.
"I wouldn't have been here, it's freezing out there," Johnson said. "We weren't able to quite execute to get ourselves back on top, and [Reno] did. We made it a little easier on them tonight — we weren't the cleanest defensively. We allowed them some extra opportunities, and we can't do that."
Starter Orangel Arenas struggled early, giving up deep hits into the outfield as soon as the first inning, when Chris Owings tripled and then scored.
The later innings also brought runs, lowlighted by a third-inning stretch with three straight base hits.
No one else found much success, either. David Carpenter lasted less than two innings after three runs and three walks. Robert Coello gave up a pair of runs on a single by Taylor Harbin after walking both scorers aboard. Only Elvin Ramirez held the Aces scoreless, but the game had been long decided.
The Bees did rack up eight hits, but they didn't amount to much on the scoreboard.
The team scored all of its runs in the first against starter Nelson Figuroa. Luis Jiminez batted in a run on a double, then scored himself on Chris Snyder's towering homer past left field — the team's first home run of the season.
But the rest was all frustration for Salt Lake, which was only 1-for-13 with runners in scoring position and stranded 10 runners total. The closest the team got was when the bases were loaded in the second with only one out, but two pop flies ended the threat.
Will Hayes closed with an exclamation point for Reno, striking out three in one inning of work.
The Bees continue the series at 5:05 p.m. Wednesday with a doubleheader. —
Reno 11, Salt Lake 3
O The Bees pitching staff allows three homers and eight walks.
• Chris Snyder hits Salt Lake's first home run of the season. • Luis Jimenez and Luis Rodriguez each double twice.