The Tacoma Rainiers downed the Bees 13-5 on Tuesday afternoon to wrap up a rainy homestand at Smith’s Ballpark.
The Bees trailed 6-3 after four innings before the Rainiers erupted for seven runs in the fifth to extend their lead to 13-3. In the bottom of the fifth, Salt Lake was able to load the bases with no outs, but only scored one run to make the game 13-4. Jose Rojas added the Bees last run with hit a solo homer in the top of the ninth.
Four Bees recorded multi-hit games and the team’s offense was able to produce 15 hits, but were unable to score runs as they left 12 stranded. Jarrett Parker led the Bees offense by knocking in two runs on two hits while Mario Sanjur and Jose Rojas each had one RBI.
The Salt Lake pitching staff gave up 13 earned runs on 17 hits and tied a season-high for stolen bases allowed with three.
Luke Bard (0-1) opened the first inning for the Bees and was tagged with the loss as he allowed four earned runs on five hits. Following Bard was Jose Suarez who went three and two-thirds innings and gave up six earned on seven hits. Sam Freeman relieved Suarez with two outs in the fifth and surrendered three earned before recording the last out of the inning. The duo of Jose Rodriguez and Jeremy Rhoades closed out the last four innings and did not yield a run. But the damage had been done by that point.
The Bees take to the road for five games in Fresno before returning home on June 4 for a seven game homestand against the San Antonio Missions and Round Rock Express.