The Salt Lake Bees came into Raley Field on Wednesday for the first game of the Pacific Coast League Pacific Conference championship series against the River Cats and showed no memory of the recently completed regular season.
Salt Lake snatched the first game of the best-of-five series 13-10.
River Cats manager Todd Steverson pushed button after button while his team attempted to come back from a 12-4 deficit in the fifth inning. The Bees, however, had established a working margin against the River Cats' pitching staff that was too much to overcome despite legitimate chances.
Salt Lake manager Bobby Mitchell had a lineup loaded with hitting stars. And they displayed their wares quickly and forcefully. Second baseman Freddy Sandoval lined a homer off River Cats starter Brad Knox and first baseman Matt Brown followed with another to get the Bees off to a 2-0 first-inning lead.
The River Cats scored three in the second inning to take a 3-2 lead, but Salt Lake had six hits and scored five runs off Knox in the third to gain control 7-3.
Sacramento, which was 11-5 against Salt Lake during the regular season, also had hit Bees starter Nick Green hard in three meetings. Green, however, was fairly effective using off-speed pitches early.
Knox was pounded unmercifully as the Bees batted aggressively. They took few pitches and were aggressive most of the night on the way to a playoff franchise-high 19 hits. Knox gave up 11 hits and seven earned runs in 2 1/3 innings.
Brown, who led Team USA's bronze-medal winning squad in the Beijing Olympics with 10 RBIs, led the Bees with four hits (two HRs) and four RBIs.
"He hurt us tonight, but he wasn't in the Olympics without reason," Steverson said.
The Bees put five runs on the board in the fifth as they continued their offensive success against relievers David Shafer and Brad Kilby.
"They dropped two five-spots on us and that never bodes well," Steverson said.
Despite the double-digit scoring by each team, there was late drama.
Bees closer Jason Bulger replaced Chris Bootcheck in the eighth with the bases full and two outs with Salt Lake holding a 13-9 lead. At the plate was Sacramento third baseman Jeff Baisley, who was 4 for 4 with two home runs. Bulger, who had allowed just one hit and struck out eight during his previous five single-inning appearances, walked Baisley to make the score 13-10.
Bulger, however, struck out shortstop Gregorio Petit to shut the door on that River Cats opportunity.
Call The Bee's Martin McNeal, (916) 326-5504.
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