Salt Lake rallies from six down, stuns Oklahoma City 9-7

A 7-1 hole in the sixth inning looked like the kind of Triple-A opener that gets away fast. Instead, Salt Lake ripped off eight straight runs over the final four innings Tuesday night and walked out of Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark with a 9-7 shocker over Oklahoma City.

The Bees had actually struck first, which made the swing even harsher for the Comets. Oklahoma City answered with a barrage that pushed it ahead 7-1 after five, and the game was drifting toward a rout before Salt Lake’s lineup started stacking quality at-bats and never stopped. By the time the final out landed, the Bees had flipped a six-run deficit into one of the most striking road wins of their season.

Jeimer Candelario led the charge with a 3-for-5 night that included a home run and two RBI. Denzer Guzman added his own home run and drove in two more, Omar Martínez doubled twice and knocked in a run, and Trey Mancini kept the pressure on with two hits, including a double, two runs scored and two walks. That is how a comeback gets built in the minors: not with one swing, but with one good plate appearance after another until the other dugout feels it slipping.

Salt Lake’s bullpen finished the job. Samy Natera Jr. earned the win after the fifth-inning turn, and Jared Southard collected the save as the Bees protected the lead they had chased down over the final four frames. The comeback also came with context that matters in a division race, even in early May: Salt Lake improved to 15-19, Oklahoma City dropped to 17-17, and the Bees snapped the Comets’ four-game winning streak.

For Oklahoma City, the loss was the kind that lingers. It was the Comets’ largest lead in an eventual defeat this season, and the club’s home losing streak grew to five. The six-run cushion was the biggest Oklahoma City had coughed up in a loss at home since July 28, 2022, and the biggest lead it has ever lost after holding in any game since Aug. 6, 2025 at El Paso.

The backdrop made it even more noticeable. Oklahoma City’s lineup drew a season-high 11 walks, but the offense managed only one hit after the fifth inning. The Comets also had Dodgers rehab names in the mix, with Kiké Hernández making his first appearance since Game 7 of the 2025 World Series after left elbow surgery and Brusdar Graterol continuing his assignment. But the spotlight belonged to Salt Lake, which turned Cinco de Mayo into a comeback that was all leverage and no panic.

Oklahoma City got the last word Wednesday with a 12-5 win to even the series, but the opener belonged to the Bees and the six-run escape that no one in the ballpark saw coming.