HOW IT HAPPENED:
The Express broke a scoreless tie with three runs in the fourth inning. DH Kyle Higashioka doubled before 1B Alejandro Osuna drove him home with a single to right field. LF Trevor Hauver followed with an RBI single to score Osuna. Later in the inning, 2B Theo Hardy worked a bases-loaded walk to give Round Rock a 3-0 lead.
Round Rock added two runs in the fifth. Osuna walked, stole second base and scored on another RBI single from Hauver. After stealing second and advancing to third on a wild pitch, Hauver stole home to extend the E-Train’s advantage to 5-0.
Salt Lake broke the shutout in the sixth inning when LF Nelson Rada singled home 1B Niko Kavadas. The Bees cut the deficit to two runs in the eighth after Kavadas recorded an RBI double and Rada added another RBI single.
The Bees made it a one-run game with two outs in the ninth when DH Cade Marlowe doubled home CF Raudi Rodriguez. Peoples intentionally walked Kavadas before retiring 3B Ben Gobbel on a lineout to center field, securing the 5-4 victory and his first save of the season.
E-TRAIN EXCERPTS:
WHERE WE STAND: The Express have won three of four this week over Salt Lake… in the three wins, have scored five runs or more… with Oklahoma City’s win over Sugar Land, Round Rock’s elimination number has dropped to one… with one Comets win OR one Round Rock loss, the E-Train will be eliminated from postseason contention… improved to 21-24 in one-run games this year… Express need to win at least four of their final eight games to avoid finishing 10 games below .500 for the first time by a Rangers affiliate in 29 years... with one win the next two days, will take the season series from Salt Lake (6-4).
LHP DALTON PENCE (W, 5.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 5 BB, 5 SO, 78 pitches, 46 strikes): collected his fourth Triple-A win and his sixth between High-A, Double-A and Triple-A this year despite tossing a career high five walks… previous high was 4 with Double-A Frisco (6/19/26)… now owns a 1.82 ERA (7 ER/34.2 IP) with the Express… has tossed 5.0 innings or more in three consecutive starts and five of his seven starts at Triple-A… has tossed 114.1 innings this year which is a career high and is the most by any Rangers minor league pitcher this season.
ROAD WARRIORS: Round Rock is sixth in Triple-A in road winning percentage (.548) and tied for fifth in total road victories (40-32). it is currently the fifth-best winning percentage on the road in a single season and the best since 2021 (.578). With two more wins this week, the club would tie the 2011 Express (42-30) for most road wins in a single season in the franchise's Triple-A era (since 2005).
OSUNA ON A ROLL: OF Alejandro Osuna finished 1-for-3 with an RBI, two runs scored and two walks… in 4 games this week, slashing .375 (6-16)/.474/.438/.912 with a double, two RBI, four runs scored, two walks, three strikeouts and two stolen bases… of the 13 balls he has put in play, 7 have been over 95.0 mph and five have been hit over 100.0 mph.
NEXT GAME: Saturday, September 12 at Salt Lake FIRST PITCH: 7:35 p.m. CT BALLPARK: The Ballpark at America First Square
For more information about the Express, visit RRExpress.com or call (512) 255-2255. Subscribe to the E-Train email newsletter and keep up with the Express on Facebook, Instagram and X!