SOUTH JORDAN, UT. - The Bees erased an early deficit and briefly took the lead behind Gustavo Campero's solo homer, but Omaha's three-run fifth inning proved to be the difference in a Sunday 4-3 loss on Abejas Night.
Omaha 4, Salt Lake 3
WP: Henry Williams (2-2)
LP: Brett Kerry (3-7)
SV: Justin Topa (4)
Key Performers
Gustavo Campero: 1-3, R, HR, RBI, BB
Ben Gobbel: 1-2, RBI, K
Jeimer Candelario: 1-4, R, 2B
Game Summary
During the final contest of the six-game series, which saw the highest game-time temperature in the history of the ballpark at 104 degrees, Salt Lake’s starter Brett Kerry set the tone early on Abejas Night, punching out the side in order in the final game of the six-game set. Omaha’s starter, Henry Williams, fared the same, sitting Salt Lake’s side down in order with a strikeout, groundout, and lineout.
The game remained scoreless until the top of the third inning, when the Storm Chasers opened with a double. Omaha then capitalized on a single play involving two errors to drive in the opening run. Despite facing a situation with two runners on and nobody out, Kerry successfully navigated the jam to prevent the visitors from extending their lead.
In the bottom of the third, Jeimer Candelario sparked the offense with a lead-off double. Following a flyout, Omar Martinez delivered a deep sacrifice fly to centerfield, bringing Candelario home and knotting the score at 1-1 to end the frame.
Following a scoreless top half of the fourth maintained by Kerry, the Bees reclaimed the lead at 2-1 when Gustavo Campero launched a solo home run, his second of the year. However, Omaha responded in the top of the fifth inning as Gavin Cross connected for a solo shot to tie the game at 2-2. The home run represented Cross's fifth of the current series.
Immediately after a double and a walk drove Kerry from the contest, the Storm Chasers grabbed the lead. Elih Marrero launched a 107 MPH double deep against the right-centerfield wall, driving in two runs to put the visitors ahead 4-2.
With two outs in the sixth, Ben Gobbel came through in the clutch, singling and scoring the run that would get the Bees within a run. Salt Lake trailed 4-3 after six innings.
Both sides were blanked the rest of the way as the Bees couldn’t find a way to comeback, as they dropped the final game of the set.=
Game Notes
- Salt Lake dropped five of six against Omaha this week, their first such result since a 1-5 outcome against Sugar Land on May 6-11, 2025. Losing five of six at home has occurred three times ever at The Ballpark at America First Square, with April 22-27, 2025 vs. Oklahoma City joining the Sugar Land series and this week’s result.
- The Bees finished 3-6 on the nine-game homestand, taking a three-game weekend set against Reno, before the 1-5 finish against Omaha. Salt Lake couldn’t quite replicate the success of the season’s 12-game homestand back in May 12-24, when they finished 9-3 against El Paso and Tacoma.
- Salt Lake managed six hits tonight and had no hitters record a multi-hit effort. It is the first time since the series opener in Albuquerque (June 23) that the Bees have had zero multi-hit ledgers in a contest (seven hits from seven different hitters).
- The Bees’ bullpen pitched a shutout, recording 3.1 scoreless innings in relief. It is the 18th time Salt Lake relievers have accomplished this feat and first since July 10 at Sacramento when Huascar Ynoa and Dillon Tate combined to pitch four scoreless innings in the Bees’ 12-5 victory.
- Bees hitters combined for 10 strikeouts. Four of Salt Lake’s six games against Omaha saw the lineup strikeout 10 or more times. It was the 44th game this season that a Bees lineup struck out 10 or more times. The Bees struck out 56 times in the series, which led the PCL for most across this week’s action.
- Gustavo Campero’s homer marked four straight games in which Salt Lake has hit at least one longball. It is tied for the second longest active streak in Triple-A, with Omaha’s nine-game streak leading the level.
- Righty starter Brett Kerry came within an out of recording a quality start. He kicked off the matchup by striking out the side in order for the first time this year. Over 5.2 innings on the mound, he allowed three hits and three earned runs, striking out five and walking four. This outing represents his 11th game of the season lasting five or more innings.
- Salt Lake’s first hit came in the third inning off the bat off Jeimer Candelario. The veteran extended his season high on-base streak to 15 games with a lead-off double. His hit streak was extended to six games on the two-bagger.
- Omar Martinez tied the game at one in the third with a sac-fly. The catcher’s RBI counted for his 25th this season.
- Nelson Rada extended both his hitting and on-base streaks to four games by hitting a two-out double into the right-center gap during the third inning. This two-bagger represented the 13th double of 2026 and the 69th of his career in the minor leagues.
- To give the Bees a 2-1 lead in the fourth, Gustavo Campero blasted his second homer with Salt Lake this season, a solo shot to the berm in right field. Tonight’s left-fielder has hits in four of his last five games and two homers in the series. The round-tripper was his 45th in his minor league career.
- With one out in the fourth inning, shortstop Kyren Paris drew a walk to extend his streak of consecutive games with a free pass to seven. This plate appearance also successfully extended his overall on-base streak to 16 straight games.
- Cade Marlowe led off the bottom of the fifth with a single. On the knock, his hit streak is up to four games and his on-base streak is up to five games. Marlowe’s single was his 105th hit of the season.
- In his sixth game of his rehab assignment, Adam Frazier reached base for the fifth time, reaching on an error to lead-off the sixth inning.
- Ben Gobbel’s first at-bat off the bench was a big one. Tonight’s first baseman singled to right center to plate a run and get Salt Lake within one in the sixth. After back-to-back hitless games, Gobbel got back into the hit column for his 38th knock of the season.
- With one out in the bottom of the seventh, Christian Moore reached on a walk. On the free pass, the infielder pushed his on-base streak to five games.
- In his second rehab appearance with Salt Lake, Ben Joyce recorded his second straight scoreless appearance. The flame-throwing righty spun one inning of no hit baseball while striking out one. Seven of his 17 pitches were 100 MPH or faster.
- In his sixth game on rehab with the Bees, Travis d’Arnaud led off the eighth inning with a double, marking his first two-bagger with Salt Lake. With hits in consecutive nights, he has now safely hit in four of his six games during this rehab assignment. At 115.2 MPH, d'Arnaud's double registered the highest exit velocity in the PCL this season, as well as the fastest off the bat for the Bees, beating Nick Madrigal’s 113.6 MPH on April 29 against Sacramento.
- Justin Dunn’s 25th appearance of the season marked his first scoreless one since July 11 in Sacramento. The veteran twirled one inning of one hit baseball on six pitches.
- Salt Lake’s final pitcher, Sammy Peralta, recorded his sixth appearance with no earned runs in the month of July. In his one inning of work, the southpaw gave up two hits while striking out two.
Up Next
Following an off day, Salt Lake will travel to the Bluebonnet State to kick off their second series against the Sugar Land Space Cowboys, the Triple-A affiliate of the Houston Astros. The first pitch from Constellation Field is scheduled for 6:05 p.m. MDT.