The Salt Lake Bees finally did it. For the first time since 2022, they grabbed a series win in Sacramento, taking four of six games from the River Cats on their brutal 12-game, season-high road trip. It was a huge statement series, cementing their third series victory in their last four six-game sets. Talk about getting back to business away from home!
Taming the Cats in Sacramento Chaos
This series had everything you could want, except maybe fewer stressful moments. It kicked off with Caden Dana absolutely dominating, spinning five shutout frames and racking up a season-high eight strikeouts in Tuesday’s opener. Pablo Reyes was clutch at the plate with three RBIs, getting the Bees a solid 4-1 win and snapping a four-game skid. Wednesday saw more insane pitching as Brett Kerry delivered six dazzling shutout innings. Seriously, six innings of zero runs! But the River Cats walked it off with a three-run homer in the ninth, stinging the Bees with a 3-1 loss despite Ben Gobbel’s solo shot. That one hurt, no doubt.
Extra-Inning Drama and Late Game Magic
The Bees just refused to quit, and that’s the kind of grit you love to see. Thursday’s game went to extra innings after Sacramento mounted a comeback. Reyes stepped up again, delivering a go-ahead sacrifice fly in the 10th. Leonard Garcia slammed the door shut with three strikeouts, locking down a 4-3 win. Then Saturday? Down 6-1, the lead vanished in a five-run seventh, putting them behind 7-6. But did they fold? Nope! Bryce Teodosio, who had been struggling big time, ending a 0-for-14 slump with a go-ahead RBI single in the 10th for an 8-7 win. Pure heart! Even after falling 6-3 on Saturday, the Bees conjured more magic on Sunday. Raudi Rodriguez tied it with a solo shot in the sixth. Then, in the ninth, they dropped three runs with a two-out rally thanks to RBI singles from Reyes, Rodriguez, and Yolmer Sánchez. Garcia snagged his second save of the week, clinching the series in style. What a way to wrap up their eighth series win of 2026! The season series with the River Cats evened out at 12-12, a real barn burner all year.
Nelson Rada’s Batting Slump Is Hard to Ignore
While the series win was awesome, we gotta talk about Nelson Rada. The Los Angeles sixth-ranked prospect had a rough, rough time on this whole 12-game road trip, and Sacramento was no exception. In the five games he played against the River Cats, Rada went just 1 for 17, batting a brutal .059. That lone hit came in the first game! He walked twice, drove in one run, and struck out six times. Yeah, he did swipe two bases, bringing his season total to 36, putting him nine shy of the Bees’ single-season stolen base record. But overall, he finished the entire road trip with only four hits in 37 at-bats. That’s a slump that needs turning around, and fast.
The Bees are heading home now for their final homestand of the 2026 campaign. Let’s hope Rada can snap out of this funk at the plate and finish strong. He’s got a record to chase, but the bat’s gotta wake up first!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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