Salt Lake rallies past 51s with three-run homer in eighth
C.J. Cron hit a three-run homer in the eighth inning to send the Salt Lake Bees to a 5-4 win over the 51s in a Pacific Coast League game Wednesday in Salt Lake City.
Las Vegas reliever Vic Black (0-1) opened the bottom of the eighth by issuing consecutive walks to Gary Brown and Ryan Jackson. After a wild pitch, Cron launched his fifth homer of the season to hand the 51s (41-32) their third loss in 13 games.
51s starter Tyler Pill worked into the sixth inning, giving up two runs on six hits and no walks and striking out six.
After the Bees’ first two batters of the sixth reached base, relievers Scott Rice and John Church combined to hold Salt Lake (29-44) scoreless in the inning as Las Vegas nursed a 4-2 lead.
Cory Rasmus, on a rehabilitation assignment for the Los Angeles Angels while recovering from an abdominal injury, started for Salt Lake and pitched two perfect innings with five strikeouts.
Seven of Las Vegas’ first eight batters struck out before Wilfredo Tovar singled, notched his 20th stolen base and scored on Danny Muno’s two-out single in the third.
After Brown’s fielder’s-choice grounder in the third plated the tying run, the 51s went up 2-1 in the fourth on Brandon Allen’s sacrifice fly.
Las Vegas scored twice in the fifth on another RBI single by Muno and Matt Reynolds’ double-play grounder.
Brown got the Bees within 4-2 with a two-out RBI single in the fifth.
Jo-Jo Reyes, who relieved Rasmus after the second, gave up four runs on six hits and one walk and struck out two in 3 2/3 innings.
Steven Hensley, Mike Morin (1-0) and Vinnie Pestano shut out the 51s over the final 3 1/3 innings on one hit and no walks, with four strikeouts.
Tovar had three of Las Vegas’ seven hits and scored twice.
Cron, Ryan Jackson and Alfredo Marte each had two of Salt Lake’s seven hits, and Marte scored twice.
The teams play the rubber game of their three-game set at 6:05 p.m. today. Dillon Gee, who is 0-3 with a 5.90 ERA for the New York Mets this season, will make his 51s debut against fellow right-hander Alex Sanabia (1-7, 5.49).
