Round Rock Falls 8-3 in Salt Lake
June 7, 2018 - Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Round Rock Express News Release
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah - On the brink of capturing their first series sweep of the 2018 season, the Round Rock Express (26-34) came up just short, dropping Thursday afternoon's matchup with the Salt Lake Bees (36-25) by a final score of 8-3.
Express starter LHP Yohander Méndez (0-6, 5.26) was stuck with loss after tossing 4.1 innings and allowing four runs to seep through on five base hits. The 23-year-old lefty flashed some of the lights-out stuff that has earned him a top prospect label in the Texas Rangers organization as he recorded six strikeouts while issuing just one walk.
Bees reliever RHP Osmer Morales (4-2, 5.56) walked away with the win after permitting just four batters to reach base on two hits and two walks over 4.0 frames.
Round Rock leaped ahead in the top the first as LF Willie Calhoun roped an opposite field double off the wall in left field before scoring the game's first run when 1B Tommy Joseph connected on a two-bagger of his own. In the bottom half of the inning, Méndez would maintain the great start for the E-Train by striking out the Salt Lake side on just 15 pitches.
After two perfect innings, Méndez would succumb to the Bees' offensive attack in the third as they knotted up the score at 1-1. 3B Sherman Johnson reached base on a bloop single to center and advanced to second when Express CF Scott Heineman threw out a runner at third. Salt Lake 2B David Fletcher then knocked the run home on a two-out single that landed just outside the reach of Calhoun in left field.
The Bees would be back for more in the next frame, grabbing a 2-1 lead when RF Jabari Blash lined a shot just over the right field fence for his Pacific Coast League-leading 16th homer of the year. However, Méndez would bounce back, retiring the next eight Bees hitters in order to keep Round Rock within striking distance.
Salt Lake got things going when Blash came up to bat once again in the seventh as he drew a walk before SS Nolan Fontana rocked a triple to left that extended the Bees lead to 3-1. The three-bagger marked the end of Méndez' outing as he was replaced by Express reliever LHP Brandon Mann on the bump.
Just after Mann issued a seven-pitch walk to Salt Lake CF Eric Young Jr., Fontana pulled off a straight steal of home during the next at-bat to make it 4-1. Young Jr. would come around to add another run to the Bees total when he scored from first on a double off the bat of C Francisco Arcia.
Salt Lake continued to do damage off of Round Rock reliever RHP Deolis Garcia in the inning as Fletcher drove in Garcia from second on a single before 3B Sherman Johnson reached base via a walk and later stretched the gap to 7-1 when he trotted home on a groundout by 1B Matt Thaiss. DH Taylor Ward then capped off the six-run inning for the Bees by singling home Fletcher from third to make it 8-1.
The E-Train would deliver what would ultimately be an insignificant blow in the top of the ninth when 2B Hanser Alberto singled before Heineman clobbered a two-run homer to left, cutting the Salt Lake lead to 8-3. Calhoun then singled for his second base hit of the day but was stranded at first base when DH Ryan Rua tapped out to the shortstop to end the ballgame.
The Express kick off a three-game series with the Las Vegas 51s Friday night with Round Rock RHP Yovani Gallardo (2-1, 4.03) scheduled to face Las Vegas RHP Corey Oswalt (3-3, 6.32). First pitch at Cashman Field is set for 9:05 p.m. CDT.
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