I’ve been working with Johny (Narron, hitting coach) relentlessly, using his teaching and really putting it to work. It’s always fun to have this kind of success no matter where you are. – Stephen McGee
SALT LAKE CITY — With just three home games remaining on the Bees' schedule, Salt Lake opened its series with Tacoma with a 6-5 victory in front of 9,965 fans at Smith’s Ballpark.
Gary Brown’s one-out single drove in newly-called-up teammates Stephen McGee and Angel Rose as the Bees took a 6-4 lead. First baseman Efren Navarro drove in Brown and that proved to be the difference as Salt Lake improved to 55-82 on the season.
McGhee finished the night 2 for 4 and is batting .500 since being called up from Inland Empire.
“I’ve been working with Johny (Narron, hitting coach) relentlessly, using his teaching and really putting it to work,” McGhee said. “It’s always fun to have this kind of success no matter where you are.”
The Rainiers got it going early, scoring four runs off Bees starter Drew Rucinski in the first inning. Jabari Blash, the PCL’s leading home-run hitter, cranked his 32nd homer of the season and his blast was followed by a solo shot from teammate Mike Zunino.
Bees first baseman Efren Navarro led off the second with the first hit off Rainier’s starter Mike Montgomery. After Jeff Bandy was hit by a pitch, Alfredo Marta cracked a double to left that scored Navarro. McGee doubled to left, scoring Bandy and Marte and closing the gap to 4-3.
Salt Lake threatened again in the fourth as Bandy belted a double off the wall to right-center. After Marte flied to left and Roger Keischnick grounded out, McGee’s warning-track shot was hauled in for the third out of the inning.
After giving up a lead-off double to Tacoma center fielder James Jones to start the fifth, Rucinski got out of a first-and-third, one-out jam when Bees shortstop Angel Rosa fielded a well-hit ball, stepped on second and turned the double play to get out of the inning unscathed.
After a shaky first inning, Rucinski settled down and held the Rainiers scoreless in innings two through five. Reliever Alex Sanabia spotted Rucinski in the sixth and hurled a scoreless inning. The Bees threatened in their half of the sixth as Kyle Kubitza led off with a triple, but the second baseman was stranded after Navarro grounded out and Bandy and Marte struck out.
McGee’s one-out single in the seventh finally chased Rainier starter Mike Montgomery after 6 and 1/3 innings of work setting up the hitting heroics of Brown and Navarro.
Salt Lake relievers Wesley Wright and Jeremy McBryde combined for a scoreless ninth inning.
Blash Bash:
Tacoma Rainier right fielder Jabari Blash had quite a month of August. The 6-foot-5, 225-pounder crushed a Drew Rucinski fastball for a three-run home run in the top of the first inning of Monday’s game with the Bees. Blash leads all of professional baseball with 14 home runs for the month, with Seattle’s Nelson Cruz, second with 12.
Bees’ strikeout record:
When Salt Lake starter Drew Rucinski struck out Tacoma shortstop Chris Taylor in the top half of the first the Bees set a new franchise record for strikeouts in a season.
Catching on in Triple-A:
Salt Lake catcher Stephen McGee has been feasting on Triple-A pitching ever since being called up from High-A Inland Empire on Aug. 21. Entering Monday’s game, McGee was batting .500 with one double and three RBIs. McGee swatted another double Monday that drove in two Salt Lake runs.