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SALT LAKE CITY — Despite a big night at the plate from Salt Lake Bees left fielder Rafael Ortega, the New Orleans Zephyrs still managed to come out on top 5-3 on Friday evening at Smith’s Ballpark.
Ortega finished the night 4 for 5 with a single, two doubles and a triple. He was a home run shy of the cycle.
“I was feeling good,” Ortega said. “At the plate, I felt great today.”
New Orleans won a series in Salt Lake City for the first time since 2011 by taking three out of four from the Bees. The loss marks the end of an eight-game homestand for the Bees, who went 1-7 on the homestand.
Ortega started things off in the bottom of the first with a triple down the right field line. Daniel Nava drove him in with an RBI single to give the Bees an early 1-0 lead.
The Zephyrs tied the game at one each in the top of the second when designated hitter Matt Juengel scored on a throwing error by Bees third baseman Angel Rosa.
The Bees took the lead right back in the bottom of the fifth when Ortega, who doubled, scored again on a Nava RBI single that made it 2-1. Bees catcher Juan Graterol hit a solo home run in the bottom of the sixth that made it 3-1.
But in the top of the seventh, Don Kelly hit a two-run single that scored Juengel and Tomas Telis and tied the ballgame at 3-3.
In the top of the ninth, the Zephyrs took the lead for good. Juengel led off the inning with a walk and later scored on a J.T. Riddle ground-out. Telis scored one batter later on a fielder’s choice back to Bees pitcher Javy Guerra that made it 5-3.
With two outs in the bottom of the ninth, Ortega came close to hitting for the cycle as his second double of the game fell just short of the fence. However, with Ortega representing the tying run, Daniel Nava, who had three hits in the game, struck out on a pitch out of the strike zone to end the game.
Nava also had two RBIs to go along with his three hits. Graterol hit his second home run of the year in the sixth inning.
Cron back to Angels
Former Ute C.J. Cron, who was on a rehab assignment with the Bees after breaking his hand in July, will join the Angels and be activated from the disabled list on Saturday, according to reports from the Orange County Register. Cron was 3 for 20 with one double and two RBIs in six games with the Bees. Kyle McDonald is an avid sports fan, especially for the Chicago Cubs and the Utah Valley University Wolverines. He is currently a communication major at UVU and will graduate in the spring of 2017. Email him at kyleuvu2014@gmail.com
