Aces Double Down, Sweep Sox In Twin Bill
COLORADO SPRINGS, CO - After holding early leads in both games of Monday's double header, the Sky Sox would drop 3-2 and 7-3 contests to the Reno Aces before a matinee crowd of 1,743 at Security Service Field.
The two sides held each other scoreless through the first four innings of play in game one. Colorado Springs would draw first blood, scoring twice in the home fifth against Reno starter Aaron Blair (6-1, 3.33) to take the day's first lead. The runs would come after the right-hander got two quick outs in the frame as five consecutive Sox reached base safely before the final out was recorded. An RBI single by Luis Sardinas and run-scoring double by Domingo Santana did the damage for Colorado Springs.
Sox starter Zach Davies tossed five shutout frames before surrendering two runs in the sixth to allow Reno to tie it late. Like Blair, Davies would get two quick outs before the Aces rallied. The recently acquired righty gave up two walks and two singles in the inning with Gerald Laird's two-run knock serving as the biggest blow. Davies got the final out of the frame and would be replaced by Jeremy Horst in the seventh. Davies allowed just the two runs on five hits and three walks while striking out three over six strong innings of work.
Blair would also finish the sixth before being replaced in the seventh. He matched Davies' two-run evening, giving up seven hits and two free passes while striking out four along the way.
Preston Guilmet (2-1, 2.79) took over in the seventh in a tie ballgame. Unfortunately the new Sox reliever would not fare as well, allowing the game-winning run on two hits with the biggest coming on an RBI single by Nick Evans.
Enrique Burgos came on in the last of the seventh to close out game one, issuing just one free pass in a scoreless frame to secure the 3-2 comeback win for Reno.
Hoping to was the bad taste out of their collective mouth, the Sox came out swinging in game two, scoring three fast runs off of Reno starter Allen Webster in the home first. Matt Clark's two-out, two-run blast gave Colorado Springs a 2-0 lead before consecutive singles by Michael Reed and Juan Centeno allowed Pete Orr to drive in the third run of the inning with an RBI knock of his own.
The Sox held their 3-0 lead until the top of the third when starter Tim Dillard served up a two-run shot to former Sky Sox favorite Jordan Pacheco. The home run was just the second Dillard has allowed this year and cut Reno's deficit to one after three innings of play. Reno tacked one more run on in the fourth to tie the ballgame when catcher Blake Lalli plated Jamie Romak with an RBI single. Dillard's afternoon was done after allowing three runs on six hits and a walk while striking out one over four innings of work.
The 3-3 did not last long as left-hander Jeremy Horst (0-1, 4.26) would fall victim to the long ball in the fifth. Horst put the first two runners he faced on base via a walk and a single before Danny Dorn moved the runners over with a sac bunt. Coming into the contest with 22 home runs on the season, Jamie Romak stepped to the plate in the most pivotal at-bat of the day. Romak wasted little time, slugging a three-run home run over the left field wall to push Reno ahead 6-3 after five.
The Sox would be kept off the scoreboard the rest of the way as left-hander Matt Reynolds (3-5, 5.21) and righty Kaleb Fleck combined for three scoreless innings in relief of Webster to secure the eventual 7-3 win. Rob Wooten and Jim Henderson each twirled shutout frames in the Sox loss.
Reno improves to 59-63 with the double header sweep as Colorado Springs falls to 51-71 on the season with the loss.
Colorado Springs will look to get back in the win column on Tuesday evening as they try to salvage a series-split with these same Aces in the series-finale. Josh Roenicke (6-9, 5.60) is set to lead the way against Reno right-hander Caleb Clay (7-7, 5.16) with first pitch scheduled for 6:35 PM MDT.