Martin's Walk-off Lifts Salt Lake to Win Over Sacramento
July 11, 2024 - Pacific Coast League (PCL)
Salt Lake Bees News Release
The Salt Lake Bees took home the first win of their home series against the Sacramento River Cats in walk-off fashion on Wednesday evening, emerging victorious by a final score of 6-5 thanks to a two-out, game-winning single in the bottom of the ninth off the bat of Jason Martin.
Much like how the script unfolded in Tuesday's series opener, the Bees and River Cats played each other incredibly close all night long, entering the bottom of the ninth knotted at five apiece after Tayron Guerrero stranded the go-ahead run at third base in the top half of the frame. Unlike the night before, however, it was Salt Lake who managed to put together one final rally with the game on the line, getting things started with one out on a triple into the left-center field gap by Charles Leblanc. This set the stage for someone to play the hero for the Bees, and after a strikeout brought the team down to its last out in the inning, it was Martin who stepped up in the clutch, taking an 0-1 hanging slider from Sacramento reliever Tanner Andrews and lacing it just in front of the right fielder to bring home Leblanc and send his teammates storming onto the field in celebration.
Long before Martin's heroics ended the night on a high note, the Bees got things going with the bats incredibly quickly, putting up a four-spot in the game's opening frame to take control of things from the outset. The outburst started just three batters into the contest, when Michael Stefanic laced a double into the corner in right field to plate Salt Lake's first run of the night. This was followed up two batters later by Bryce Teodosio, who continued his red-hot stretch at the plate with an RBI single to drive home Stefanic and double the early advantage. To cap things off, Martin scored from third on a double steal and an error, and Jack López got in on the fun with an RBI knock of his own soon after to bring the lead up to four runs.
On the mound, the Bees were forced to deploy a bullpen game after scheduled starter Kenny Rosenberg was called up by the Angels prior to game time, and the unit did an admirable job filling in on short notice. Tyler Thomas kicked things off and worked his longest outing of the year, making it through three innings while allowing two runs and punching out three. Kenyon Yovan and the rehabbing José Quijada followed him up with 2.2 solid innings of their own, and after Sacramento tied the game in the seventh, Guillo Zuñiga and Guerrero kept the River Cats off the board in the eighth and ninth to set up the game-winning rally.
The Bees will now try to carry the momentum from their win into the third game of the series against the River Cats on Thursday, with José Suarez set to make his second start in Salt Lake this season opposite Landon Roupp for first pitch at 6:35 p.m.
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