Rivero's Blast Not Enough as Salt Lake Drops Friday Tilt

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PCL Salt Lake Bees

Rivero's Blast Not Enough as Salt Lake Drops Friday Tilt

May 9, 2025 - Pacific Coast League (PCL)
Salt Lake Bees News Release


SOUTH JORDAN, UT - The Salt Lake Bees matched its season-long losing streak with its third straight loss on Friday night falling to Sugar Land 7-2 and failing to score more than two runs for the second consecutive game.

Sugar Land Space Cowboys 7, Salt Lake Bees 2

WP: Colton Gordon (4 - 0)

LP: Mason Erla (1 - 3)

Game Summary

Sugar Land sent six batters to the plate in the first inning but stranded the bases loaded as Bees starter Mason Erla worked out of the jam with a scoreless frame.

Salt Lake had its first scoring opportunity in the second inning when J.D. Davis ripped a leadoff double down the left-field line. However, a flyout followed by back-to-back strikeouts ended the threat and left Davis stranded at second base.

The Space Cowboys broke through in the third, stringing together five singles to produce a four-run inning. Zack Short added to the lead with a solo home run in the fourth, making it a 5-0 ballgame.

Sugar Land starter Colton Gordon kept the Bees' bats quiet through four innings, retiring Salt Lake in order in three of the first four frames. Gordon struck out five consecutive batters from the middle of the second through the end of the third, including striking out the side.

Both teams scored twice in the fifth inning as Sugar Land opened the frame with three consecutive walks, with two of those runners eventually coming around to score. Salt Lake finally got on the board when Niko Kavadas reached on his PCL-leading eighth hit-by-pitch, followed by Sebastian Rivero's third home run of the season - an opposite-field shot that made it 7-2.

Neither team scored in the final four innings. Salt Lake managed just three hits over that stretch, went down in order in the seventh, and stranded runners in each of the final two innings, ultimately dropping Friday's contest by a 7-2 score.

Game Notes

Salt Lake dropped its third straight game, matching its longest losing streak of the season, as the Bees were held to two runs or fewer for the second consecutive game. The team fell to 0-13 when scoring three runs or fewer and now sits at 15-21 overall.

Salt Lake batters struck out 14 times for the second straight night, tying their third-highest total of the season. It marked the seventh game this year in which the Bees have recorded 14 or more strikeouts.

Chad Stevens snapped an 0-for-13 slump and was the only Bee with multiple hits, recording his seventh multi-hit game of the season-and his first since April 30 at Albuquerque.

Carter Kieboom extended his hitting streak to four games, going 1-for-4 on the night. Over his last 10 games, he has hit safely in eight of them, batting .317 with eight RBIs and five runs scored. Kieboom ranks second in the Pacific Coast League (PCL) with a .343 average, trailing only Willie MacIver of Las Vegas. He also ranks fifth in both OPS (.955) and slugging percentage (.556).

Sebastian Rivero accounted for both Salt Lake runs with his third home run of the season. He extended his hitting streak to a team-best five games and has now hit safely in 14 of the 16 games he's played this season. Rivero has homered in back-to-back series and notched multiple RBIs for the fourth time this year.

J.D. Davis added Salt Lake's other extra-base hit with a double-his second in as many games and third of the season. He has now hit safely in eight of his last nine games.

On the mound, each of the three Salt Lake pitchers threw three innings. Starter Mason Erla took the loss, allowing four runs on five hits. Endrys Briceño followed, giving up three runs on five hits while walking four.

Luke Murphy finished off the game with three scoreless innings, allowing four hits and striking out three. It marked Murphy's second consecutive scoreless outing and his first ever Triple-A appearance of at least three innings without allowing a run.

Up Next

Salt Lake will look to keep Sugar Land from clinching the series on Saturday night as the Bees will have its first Firework Night at The Ballpark at America First Square. Right-hander Dakota Hudson will take the mound for Salt Lake facing up against south paw Brandon Walter of Sugar Land.

Check out the Salt Lake Bees Statistics



Pacific Coast League Stories from May 9, 2025


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