Minor league baseball: El Paso dominates Salt Lake, 13-2
The El Paso Chihuahuas attacked with a big bite, punishing the Salt Lake Bees in a dominating 13-2 victory.
Regardless of the Bees' season-long shortcomings — sitting at the bottom of the PCL Pacific Southern division with a .403 record — they have managed to move players up and down the pipeline to the big leagues.
Salt Lake has played 67 different players, and 30 of them have spent time with an MLB team in 2014.
The Chihuahuas started off blazing with five runs in the first four innings, and they never eased up.
In the first inning, Jake Goebbert doubled as Rymer Liriano scored. Then, Cody Decker's double homer pushed the Chihuahuas ahead by three.
Adam Moore homered in the second, and El Paso extended its lead to 4-0. Goebbert scored for the second time in the third. El Paso led by five going into the fourth.
The Bees used bunts to change the momentum in the batters' box. Vance Albitz singled an RBI on a bunt to allow Roberto Lopez to score. Shawn O'Malley also singled off a bunt and Ryan Wheeler scored. O'Malley's single bunt was his 16th of the season, and Vance's use of a bunt for an RBI was his 3rd this year.
The Chihuahuas were sizzling in the sixth. The Bees made their third pitching change as Dustin Richardson replaced Anthony Lerew.
With Richardson on the mound, he walks two Chihuahua's players and Liriano stole third base. Liriano and Geobbert scored off a Jonathan Galvez singled. A wild pitch from Richardson allowed Cody Decker to score. Taylor Lindsey doubled sending Jonathan Galvez home.
The Bees finished with 12 hits for two runs while the Chihuahuas launched 17 hits for 13 runs. El Paso took a commanding 11-2 lead in the sixth, and continued to prevail to the end. After a four-run seventh inning, the Bees dropped 13-2. —
Storylines
O The Bees manage 12 hits but the Chihuahuas serve 17.
• The Bees play six different pitchers, and Wade LeBlanc receives the loss.
• The Bees' pitching squad allows 12 walks, two walks shy of the team record.