Salt Lake Bees: Team using the long ball to post wins

"It's up there, it's out there and it's gone."

Salt Lake Bees broadcaster Steve Klauke has been quite busy delivering his signature call during the team's current homestand.

Through six games, the Bees and their opposition have combined to hit 30 home runs. The tally includes five in Salt Lake's 7-4 win over Iowa Sunday afternoon at Spring Mobile Ballpark.

Terry Evans and Freddy Sandoval provided the latest additions for the Bees, who have hit 18 homers during the stretch.

"It's nice that everyone is starting to swing the bat now. A couple of us started a bit slower than we wanted to," said Evans, who has 11 hits over the past six games. "I feel like the ball has been carrying pretty well here this homestand. Usually it carries pretty well here, but this homestand it's going a little extra."

Indeed. The Bees have racked up 67 runs since returning home on May 12.

"Obviously the homers help. We're also getting on base ahead of the homers and we've been running the bases well," said Bees manager Bobby Mitchell. "We're doing the little things right. We're not striking out as much, and we're putting the ball in play. You never know what happens when the ball is put in play."

Especially, he added, in a home-run hitter's park.

"You know how it is around here," Mitchell said. "The ball carries pretty good and on certain days it carries even more."

The teams battled to a 3-3 deadlock over the first three innings.

Salt Lake scored on a groundout by Matt Brown, an Iowa throwing error and an RBI single from Brandon Wood. Iowa, meanwhile, used the long ball. Andres Blanco hit a two-run homer in the second, and Matt Matulia followed with a solo shot an inning later.

After the Bees countered with the two, two-run blasts from Evans and Sandoval in the fourth, the Cubs responded with another homer — a solo by Brad Snyder in the top of the fifth.

It wound up capping all scoring in the contest.

"I thought that the story of today's game was our relief pitching was solid," Mitchell said. "They came through and shut them down."

Reliever Rich Thompson (2-0) earned the victory. Rafael Rodriguez and Jeremy Hill followed by teaming for three shutout innings to end the game.

BEE LINES: The series continues tonight at 6:35. Salt Lake RHP Mike MacDonald (3-2, 6.12 ERA) and Iowa LHP J.R. Mathes (5-4, 3.66 ERA) are the scheduled starters . . . The attendance was 6,392 . . . The all-time series between Salt Lake and Iowa is now tied at 39-39.

Power surge

Home runs hit by the Salt Lake Bees six games into their current homestand:

Sean Rodriguez — 5

Matt Brown — 3

Brandon Wood — 3

Ryan Budde — 2

Terry Evans — 2

Freddy Sandoval — 2

Chris Pettit — 1

E-MAIL: dirk@desnews.com