Two games into their 2006 home slate everything has gone as planned for the Salt Lake Bees.
The Bees (6-4) posted season-highs in homers, hits and runs Saturday in the 15-1 victory over Portland to move to 2-0 at Franklin Covey Field this season.
Salt Lake tallied 17 hits in its season-opening victory at Tucson, and in the 14-run victory over the Beavers, the Bees recorded 20 hits, three of which were round-trippers.
"The guys are being aggressive and swinging the bats. There are a lot of talented hitters. We have to keep them focused," Salt Lake manager Brian Harper said. "When we're going good like this it's fun to watch."
The top four hitters in the Salt Lake lineup pounded Portland pitching in collecting 11 of the Bees' hits while driving in 11 runs.
Howie Kendrick extended his hitting streak to 10 games with a single in the first inning, and he finished the game 4-for-5 with a homer and two RBIs.
Dallas McPherson, the clean-up hitter, finished a homer shy of hitting for the cycle in going 3-for-5 with five RBIs, while upping his average to .200.
"Dallas has been struggling a lot, and for him to have a good game takes the pressure off," Harper said. "He's been putting pressure on himself, and he has struggled. He's been working, and you can't complain about it. He's doing the things he needs to do to get out of it."
Hitting in the three-hole, Nick Gorneault had two hits and an RBI, while Erick Aybar, hitting lead-off, had two hits, including a three-run homer in Salt Lake's four-run third inning.
In their first 10 games this year, the Bees have totaled 20 runs in second innings, and four of those came against Portland Saturday.
Reggie Willits had a two-run homer, and McPherson had a two-run double. The Bees, however, gave starter Kevin Gregg all the runs he would need to win the game in the first inning as Gorneault drove in a run on a fielder's choice and Kendry Morales, who extended his hitting streak to nine games, singled in the other.
Gregg allowed just five hits in five innings and didn't give up a run while striking out two and walking three in picking up his first win of the year.
"He was throwing hard," Harper said. "He had a real good fastball. He had a little trouble early on in the game falling behind a little bit, but he regrouped and his last few innings were his best."
Gregg gave up three hits and walked two in the first two innings. In his last three, however, he faced one hitter over the minimum.
Portland (4-6) scored its only run in the sixth inning on a homer by Jon Knott off reliever Jonathan Rowenhorst.
Eric Junge (0-1) suffered the loss by allowing nine runs on 10 hits in 2 1/3 innings.
Game three of the four game set is scheduled for 2 p.m. today.
BEES NOTES: The Bees have recorded 10 hits or more seven times this season . . . Aybar and Kendrick are the only Salt Lake players with more than one homer . . . For the second straight game the Bees have led 6-0 after the second inning . . . RF Tommy Murphy, who led the 2005 Texas League on outfield assists, threw out Portland's Bobby Hill at the plate and at second base. He's tossed out three at the plate.
E-mail: jhinton@desnews.com