In a Memorial Day matinee in front of 9,042 at Smith’s Ballpark, the Salt Lake Bees fell to the Nashville Sounds 8-3. The loss was the Bees’ sixth straight of the year — tied for their worst losing streak of the season — and the first time Salt Lake has been swept at home since July 24-27, 2015.
“Just try to do your job and keep playing as hard as you can,” second baseman Sherman Johnson said on how he thinks the Bees will turn around the losing streak.
Former BYU and current Sounds center fielder Jaycob Brugman had a fantastic outing in his final game in Utah this year, going 4 for 4 with three doubles and two RBIs.
After Salt Lake starting pitcher Chris O’Grady exited in the third inning, Tyler Brunnemann — who walked into the Bees locker room for the first time about an hour from first pitch — struggled in his AAA debut, giving up five runs in 2.1 innings. Cody Satterwhite, who came in after Brunnemann, gave up three.
Nashville starter Daniel Mengden pitched 6.1 innings, holding the Bees scoreless through six, only giving up three runs — two of those earned.
In the third inning, Nashville right fielder Matt Olson crushed the 3-2 offering from Brunnemann, sending it past the berm in right field into the kids’ whiffle ball field for a three-run homer.
In the sixth, Olson sent a screaming ball down the right field line to score Ryon Healy from first. It was Olson’s fourth RBI of the day off Brunnemann, and it gave Nashville a 4-0 lead.
After Olson’s RBI double, manager Keith Johnson put in Satterwhite, who couldn’t stop the bleeding.
Brugman hit his second double of the day later in the sixth, scoring two. Chad Pinder followed by hitting a high ball that barely got over the left field wall for a two-run homer, Pinder’s fourth of the season, increasing Nashville’s lead to eight.
In the bottom of the seventh, Sherman Johnson provided the first Bees hit beyond a single, hitting a double to move Ji-Man Choi to third. A ground-out brought Choi home to prevent the shutout. Kyle Kubitza followed with an RBI single to cut the Nashville lead to six. Juan Gaterol singled, and an error by the right fielder brought Kubitza home from first to make it 8-3.
“THE FREAK” JOINS THE BEES: Tim Lincecum is scheduled to make two starts with Salt Lake. The two-time Cy Young Award winner’s first start with the Bees is scheduled for June 2, on the road against Tacoma. Lincecum, signed by the Angels on May 20, is scheduled to make his final start with Salt Lake at Reno on June 7.
BEELINES
Nashville — 8
Bees — 3
In short — The Salt Lake Bees get swept at home for the first time since July 2015, falling to the Nashville Sounds in the final game of the series, 8-3. BYU product Jaycob Brugman was 4-for-4 with three doubles.
Record — 25-24
Next up: Salt Lake RHP Kyle Kendrick (2-2, 5.47 ERA) at Tacoma LHP James Paxton (4-3, 3.97 ERA), Tuesday, 7:05 p.m.