Salt Lake Bees: Stumbling, bumbling Bees humbled by Cubs

Salt Lake Bees manager Bobby Mitchell got right to the point in his postgame remarks to the team. There wasn't a lot to say after Monday night's 12-3 loss to the Iowa Cubs at Spring Mobile Ballpark.

"I told them it wasn't a very good game all around for us," Mitchell said before acknowledging that the Bees did do some things well.

The negatives, however, outweighed the positives. There were base-running miscues, a lack of run-scoring hits, ineffective relief pitching and other things that simply didn't work out the way Salt Lake would have liked.

"We have to forget it," Mitchell said. "Forget this game and go on to tomorrow."

Salt Lake held three one-run leads over the first six innings.

Matt Brown got things started with a solo homer in the second, giving the Bees their 19th homer in the seven-game homestand.

Iowa evened the score two innings later on an RBI double by Nate Spears.

In the fifth, Salt Lake took its second advantage when Terry Evans knocked in a run with a double to make it 2-1.

Iowa responded by scoring on a fielder's choice in the top of the sixth to knot things up again.

The Bees took their final lead in the bottom of the inning when Brandon Wood, who reached on a walk, eventually crossed the plate on a double play.

Iowa quickly erased the 3-2 deficit when Andres Blanco opened the seventh with a home run. Sam Fuld later added an RBI triple and Jake Fox belted a three-run homer.

Leading 7-3, the Cubs repeated the five-run outburst in the eighth.

David Macias, Fox and Kevin Hart each drove in runs before Jason Dubois followed with a two-run single to cap all scoring in the lopsided contest.

Starter Mike MacDonald (3-3) took the loss.

Relievers Daniel Davidson and Fernando Rodriguez were also unable to slow the flow during Iowa's 10-run eruption over the seventh and eighth innings.

The series concludes today with a 10:35 a.m. game. Approximately 10,000 Utah grade-school children will be in attendance for "Safety and Prevention Kids Day."

Salt Lake RHP Brad Knox (2-1, 5.13 ERA) and Iowa RHP Jeff Samardzija (0-0, 4.26 ERA) are the scheduled starters.

BEE LINES: The attendance was 8,864 ... Lt. Gov. Gary Herbert threw out the first pitch ... Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim pitcher Kelvim Escobar, who is recovering from right shoulder surgery, is expected to make a couple of starts for Salt Lake in the coming weeks ... Angels outfielder Vladimir Guerrero, who is out with a torn right pectoral muscle, will likely do a rehab assignment with Single-A Rancho Cucamonga instead of Salt Lake.

Email: dirk@desnews.com