(Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune) Salt Lake Bees vs. Albuquerque Isotopes, Triple-A baseball in Salt Lake City, Thursday April 5, 2018. Salt Lake pitcher John Lamb in the first inning.
Chalk one up for small ball. While Salt Lake Bees manager Keith Johnson proclaimed earlier this week on media day that the three-run home run had returned to the team’s lineup this season, it wasn’t necessary on opening day.
The Bees proved speed still has a place on the baseball diamond, and it made all the difference in their 9-3 win over the Albuquerque Isotopes at Smith’s Ballpark on Thursday night. Catcher Jose Briceno went 3 for 3, while Jabari Blash and David Fletcher collected two hits apiece. Blash, who scored three runs, also hit a solo home run.
Blash’s home run in the sixth inning marked the only extra-base hit in the game for the Bees, while the Isotopes scored their three runs on three solo homers.
“As a group they went out there tonight and put our hitters in good situations by running the bases and getting themselves into scoring position,” Johnson said. “So if guys put the ball in play, they were able to drive in runs even if they were making an out. It was a productive out. It was really good to see.”
Last season marked the 10th consecutive year that Major League Baseball set a record for strikeouts in a season. The number climbed above 40,000. Meanwhile MLB also set a record for home runs in a season. At the highest level of baseball, the best hitters in the world have largely become feast or famine.
However, the Bees scored their first seven runs in without an extra-base hit. Angels prospect Michael Hermosillo almost single-handedly manufactured the first run. He reached on an infield single, stole second base, broke for third on a ground ball to shortstop that went for an infield single, and scored on a wild pitch.
“That has to be part of his game,” Johnson said of Hermosillo. “That’s a really good tool that he has — speed. He has to use it. It just shows the type of exciting player that he can be if he puts his mind to it.”
In the next two innings, the Bees scored six runs on five hits — all singles. Along the way, they drove in runs via two sacrifice flies, one passed ball, a ground out to shortstop and a pair of RBI singles which scored runners from second base.
The Bees tacked on runs in the sixth and eighth innings.
“I think that we’re going to play aggressive baseball, especially with taking the extra base and just hustling,” said Blash, who hit 22 home runs last season between Triple-A and the majors. “That’s what KJ expects and it’s what [Mike] Scioscia expects up top, so don’t expect anything less.”
Bees starting pitcher John Lamb allowed two earned runs in 2 2/3 innings, while five relief pitchers combined to pitch 6 1/3 innings and allowed just one run. Former BYU pitcher Taylor Cole pitched two scoreless innings and struck out two.
Isotopes starting pitcher Yency Almonte left the game with an injury, leaving with one out and two runners on in the first inning after having thrown 16 pitches.
This early into the season, the starters weren’t expected to go very deep into the game. Almonte’s early exit put a heavier workload on the bullpen as six relievers, including former Bee Brooks Pounders, pitched.
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