The Salt Lake Bees secured a three-game series victory over the Reno Aces during a home series held from July 17 to July 19, 2026. Behind a dominant pitching performance by George Klassen and late-inning heroics in two of the three contests, the Bees overcame an intermediate loss to claim the series win at The Ballpark at America First Square.
Comeback Victory in Game One Opens Series
The series opener on July 17 saw Salt Lake edge Reno with a 9-8 victory. Kyren Paris provided early momentum for the Bees with a two-run home run in the second inning, while Pablo Reyes contributed his first two home runs at The Ballpark at America First Square this season. Reyes' second blast was a go-ahead two-run homer in the fifth inning following a game-tying double by Christian Moore.
Despite Reno reclaiming an 8-7 lead with a three-run home run in the sixth, the Bees' defense remained resilient through the seventh and eighth innings. In the bottom of the eighth, Logan Porter delivered a two-out, two-run single to left field to regain the lead. Kaleb Ort earned his fifth save of the season by recording two strikeouts in a scoreless ninth inning to finalize the 9-8 win. Dillon Tate was credited with the win, while Spencer Geisting took the loss.
Reno Rebounds in Game Two
The momentum shifted during Game 2, where Reno defeated Salt Lake 11-6. The Aces built a commanding 6-0 lead within the first three innings after Sam Aldegheri surrendered several runs. Salt Lake attempted to mount a comeback through an RBI single by Kyren Paris, a solo home run by Bryce Teodosio, and an RBI groundout from Yolmer Sánchez. Omar Martinez briefly erased the deficit with a game-tying three-run homer in the seventh inning.
After Jared Southard escaped a jam in the seventh, the score remained tied until the ninth inning, when Reno scored five runs to pull away for the 11-6 win. Although Salt Lake loaded the bases in the bottom of the ninth, they were unable to complete the comeback. The loss was credited to Jared Southard, while Gerrardo Carrillo earned the win for Reno.
Klassen Dominates in Series Clincher
The Bees clinched the series in Game 3 with an 8-6 win, led by George Klassen's best start of the season. Klassen struck out a season-high 11 batters over six innings while allowing only two hits and one run. He set a Bees franchise record by recording nine strikeouts within the first four innings of the game. His performance marked his sixth quality start of the year.
The Salt Lake offense provided significant support, building a 7-1 lead through contributions from Zach Humphreys, Jeimer Candelario, Nelson Rada, Bryce Teodosio, Pablo Reyes, and Ben Gobbel. Humphreys was particularly productive, finishing the game 2-for-3 with a two-run triple, an RBI double, and three RBIs. Kaleb Ort secured his sixth save of the season in the bottom of the ninth to seal the victory.
Notable Individual Performances
Statistical leaders for the Bees during the 2026 regular season highlighted several key contributors. Pablo Reyes recorded a .462 average during the series with six hits, two home runs, and five RBIs. Bryce Teodosio maintained a .600 batting average across ten at-bats, including a home run and three stolen bases. Kyren Paris also performed well, hitting .417 with a home run and three RBIs.
