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It's all about patience for Taylor Lindsey.
As the top prospect in the Los Angeles Angels organization, the Bees second baseman is a bit of a target each time he steps to the plate. Indeed, Lindsey's seen a steady diet of curves and change-ups thrown to the outside during most of his at-bats.
That's why his first home run, in Salt Lake's 9-6 loss to Sacramento on Sunday night, was special. Lindsey wasn't jumpy. He's figuring out how to take pitches. In short, for all of his physical talent, he's starting to negotiate the mental side of the game.
"I have to wait for what I can hit up there," Lindsey said. "I'm also learning to go the other way and to drive what I can hit. It's a process."
In what turned out to be Salt Lake's second consecutive defeat at Smith's Ballpark, Lindsey hit his first homer as a Triple A player in the sixth inning. He's hit in four consecutive games and is starting to look every bit like one of the best players in the Angels minor league system.
But what made the Bees good on Friday and Saturday — both wins against the River Cats — has been an undoing in the last two games. In splitting the series, the pitching has fallen apart. Sacramento put up four runs each in the second and eighth innings and the game was never really close after the initial flurry.
"We've been unable to avoid the big inning," Salt Lake manager Keith Johnson said. "If we hold them to one run in each inning, we may be able to win the game. We can't let teams have long rallies against us. You're never as good, nor as bad as you think."
The Bees were able to muster 11 hits. They scored three runs in the bottom of the ninth inning, and even put the tying run at the plate in the form of C.J. Cron. But the former Utah star struck out swinging to end Salt Lake's rally — and the game.
The Bees fall to 2-2 on the short season with the loss. They begin a four game series with the Fresno Grizzlies on Monday night.
Storylines River Cats 9, Bees 6
R Salt Lake falls to 2-2 on the season.
• Taylor Lindsey hits his first homer in Triple A.
• The Bees trail by as many as six runs.