Chihuahuas drop Aces behind four-run fourth
RENO - In the first of nine consecutive games against one another, the El Paso Chihuahuas handed the Reno Aces a 7-4 loss on Saturday night at Greater Nevada Field. Five singles during a four-run fourth paved the way for the visitors' league-high-tying 44th win.
El Paso (44-31) broke free from a 2-2 score with their fourth-inning outburst. Consecutive singles by Jason Hagerty, Casey McElroy, Taylor Lindsey and Miguel Del Castillo off Aces starter Edgar Garcia opened the inning, the latter two resulting in a pair of runs. After Garcia recorded one out, Manuel Margot laced a two-run single to left, pushing the lead to four.
Mitch Haniger (@M_Hanny19) lofted his seventh homer into El Paso's right-field bullpen in the fifth, pulling Reno (40-35) within three. One inning later, Mark Thomas lined an RBI single to left following a triple by Todd Glaesmann (@toddglaesmann22), making it 6-4.
The Chihuahuas tacked on an insurance run in the seventh against left-hander Adam Loewen, thanks to three straight singles from Diego Goris, Margot and Carlos Asuaje.
Garcia allowed two runs in the first to give El Paso a short-lived 2-0 lead. Walks to Asuaje and Hunter Renfroe eventually came back to bite the right-hander. Alex Dickerson - who entered with a league-best .386 batting average - smashed an RBI single to right, and McElroy added a run-scoring two-bagger to double the advantage.
Thomas leveled the score at two apiece in the second when he grounded a two-run double down the left-field line, scoring Zach Borenstein and Glaesmann. Thomas' run-scoring knock in the sixth gave him three RBI in a game for the first time since September 4, 2015, while playing for Double-A Mobile.
The Aces totaled five extra-base hits but stranded nine runners on base and went 3-for-13 with runners in scoring position. By comparison, the Chihuahuas went 6-for-11 in those same situations and left just four on base.
Carlos Pimentel (7-4) earned the win, despite allowing four earned runs on nine hits with three walks and five punchouts over five frames. Garcia (3-4) took the loss after yielding six runs on seven knocks with two free passes and six strikeouts. Former 2014-15 Aces reliever Derek Eitel recorded the final two outs in the bottom of the ninth for his first save with El Paso.
The Aces and Chihuahuas continue their five-game set with a doubleheader on Sunday at Greater Nevada Field. Game one is slated for 4:05 p.m. PT, with the nightcap scheduled to begin 30 minutes after the conclusion of the opener. Left-hander Anthony Banda (0-0,-.--) will make his Triple-A and Aces debut in the opener, while righty Eric Yardley (2-0, 1.65) gets the nod for El Paso. Game two will feature Aces right-hander Matt Capps (1-0, 3.79) against El Paso newcomer Edwin Jackson (0-0, -.--).
Ticket packages are on-sale now at www.renoaces.com or by calling (775) 334-4700. Follow the club all season long on Twitter (@Aces) or like the team on Facebook.