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SALT LAKE CITY — The Memphis Redbirds have made a habit of scoring early and often on the Salt Lake Bees.
A night after Memphis scored six runs in the first inning, the Redbirds scored five runs in the first two innings, as Memphis took the series ender, 13-4, at Smith’s Ballpark in Salt Lake City.
Bees starter Wade LeBlanc, who was optioned to the New York Yankees last month before being placed on waivers and re-signed by the Los Angeles Angels, returned to Salt Lake for his first start since being released by the Angels. As rough a month as LeBlanc has had, the first two innings were even more brutal on him.
In the first, a Xavier Scruggs single scored Shane Robinson and Randal Grichuk to give Memphis a quick 2-0 lead. Then in the second inning, a Robinson single scored Audry Perez and Greg Garcia. Also, Grichuk hit an RBI single to score Robinson and give the Redbirds a 5-0 lead.
The Bees got on the board in the bottom of the fourth inning as John Hester’s RBI single scored Roberto Lopez to cut the score to 5-1. However, Memphis returned the favor in the fifth as a Scott Moore single brought home Grichuk to make the score 6-1.
Brennan Boesch has homered in his last five games.
Memphis also scored a run in the seventh as Robinson scored on a Stephen Piscotty double.
Brennan Boesch hit a two-run homer to left field in the eighth, cutting the deficit to 7-3. Then Zach Borenstein hit an RBI double, scoring Lopez. However, Memphis scored six runs in the ninth to end any comeback hopes.
Of note, Boesch has eight straight games with an RBI and has hit five home runs in his last five home games.
The Redbirds’ Angel Castro earned the win, giving up five hits over six innings. LeBlanc earned the loss, giving up four earned runs over four innings.
The Bees’ second series of the homestand starts with the Nashville Sounds Saturday, with first pitch scheduled for 6:35 pm. Salt Lake left-hander Justin Thomas is scheduled to start, facing Nashville right-hander Jimmy Nelson. Thomas is 4-6 on the season, with a 5.85 ERA.
