Bees Swarm Express in Series Opener

The Salt Lake Bees opened their six-game series against the Round Rock Express with a decisive 7-2 victory on Tuesday night, fueled by centerfielder’s Nelson Rada performance. Rada was a force at the plate, going 4-for-5 to lead the Bees’ 12-hit attack.

Salt Lake starting pitcher Brett Kerry earned the win, delivering a stellar performance by holding the Express to just two runs on four hits over seven strong innings. The Bees’ bullpen sealed the deal, ensuring the lead was never threatened.

The Express struggled to contain Salt Lake’s offense, particularly in the later innings. Texas Rangers pitcher Josh Sborz was tagged with the loss after giving up two runs on three hits in his one inning of work.

Salt Lake got on the board first in the third inning when Rada’s double and a sacrifice fly from Carter Kieboom brought in the first run. Round Rock quickly answered with a two-run double from Trevor Hauver, putting them ahead 2-1 in the bottom of the frame.

The lead was short-lived, as the Bees tied it up in the fourth. Then, Salt Lake broke the game open in the sixth with a solo home run from Sebastián Rivero and an RBI double from Ben Gamel, pushing the lead to 4-2. The Bees added insurance runs in the eighth on a two-RBI double from Chad Stevens and an RBI single from Kieboom, cementing their 7-2 win.

Despite the loss, Round Rock’s Dustin Harris extended his hitting streak to nine games with a 3-for-5 performance. The Express will look to bounce back in game two of the series.