Salt Lake batters Corey Oswalt as 51s lose, 11-5
The Salt Lake Bees came into Saturday leading the Pacific Coast League in runs, hits, home runs, total bases and a slew of other offensive categories.
In two games, the 51s have seen why firsthand.
Salt Lake scored nine runs in its win over Las Vegas on Friday and followed that up with an 11-5 victory on Saturday night at Smith’s Ballpark.
“They’ve got a veteran team, a lot of guys with big-league time,” manager Tony DeFrancesco said. “They’re leading all the minor leagues in home runs now and they’ve got 1-9 power potential but we’ve got to execute pitches. We’re up in the high altitude here. Any mistake definitely can get hit hard.”
That offense ambushed Corey Oswalt, who hadn’t given up more than three runs in a game this season, in the third inning for six runs.
“Oswalt didn’t throw the game that we were expecting today,” DeFrancesco said. “He is one of our best pitchers. Unfortunately it didn’t go his way today. Didn’t have much command, gave up a couple home runs, a lot of deep counts and got his pitch count ran up in that inning.”
He suffered his shortest outing of the season, knocked out of the game after 2⅔ innings and seven runs.
After the two teams traded runs in the second, Oswalt allowed singles to three of the first four batters in the third.
He then walked three straight batters and uncorked a couple wild pitches before a Rymer Liraino three-run blast completed the Salt Lake (19-11) rally.
“He just didn’t have his stuff today,” DeFrancesco said. “The breaking ball wasn’t sharp, his fastball command wasn’t sharp. From the beginning, it was a battle for him.”
The six runs he gave up in the inning matched the six runs he had given up in his first three starts combined.
Las Vegas (11-19) scattered four more runs throughout the game, two coming in the fifth inning when Dominic Smith doubled to cap off an 11-pitch at-bat.
“He’s a big part of the offense. He’s sitting right in the middle there with (Zach) Borenstein and (Bryce) Brentz,” DeFrancesco said. “…It was good to see Smitty battling. We’re still waiting for him to drive the ball, show a little bit more power but I think it’ll come eventually.”
Salt Lake, meanwhile, finished the night with four home runs, including two from Liriano.
After Oswalt’s exit, Logan Taylor gave up two runs in 3⅓ innings pitched, Corey Taylor pitched a scoreless frame and Kyle Regnault gave up a pair of runs in his one inning of work.
The bullpen had worked five innings the night before and was down an arm after Hansel Robles was called up to the Mets, leaving it a little taxed.
“We should be alright,” DeFrancesco said. “We’ve got (Jacob) Rhame down there, (he) should be OK. (Drew Smith) should be OK to go. We’re going to need a good outing by our starter tomorrow, (P.J.) Conlon.”
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