WALKER COLLECTS 100TH RBI IN ACES LOSS TO SOUNDS

RENO, Nev. - The Aces dropped game two 8-5 over the Nashville Sounds on a breezy Friday night at Greater Nevada Field. Christian Walker highlighted the night with his 100th RBI of the campaign, marking the first player in all of professional baseball to reach the feat. Kevin Medrano finished going two-for-four with a RBI and a double while Vladimir Frias also collected a multi-hit game. Ace starter Taylor Clarke fought through five innings and exited after surrendering eight runs on nine hits, including four home runs, in his Triple-A debut. The Aces were just three-for-nine with runners in scoring position.  

The Oakland A's top affiliate initiated the offense Friday night in the first inning when second baseman Franklin Barreto, who finished a triple from the cycle, hit a home run to right field to give the Sounds the early 1-0 lead. In the third, Nashville extended the lead to 4-0 after Matt Olson and Renato Núñez hit back-to-back home runs.
In the third, the Aces broke into a two-out rally after catcher John Ryan Murphy knocked Reno's first hit of the game, a single to left-center field. A single by Sócrates Brito followed by a single from Walker brought around the first run for the home team to make it a 4-1 ball game.   
After the Aces made it a 4-2 ball game in the fourth, Nashville fired back with four runs. After Jaff Decker flew out to start the inning, Barreto, Olson, and Nunez hit back-to-back-to-back doubles to bring across two runs. With two outs, Chris Carter capped off the frame with a two-run home run to left-center, extending their lead to 8-2.
The Aces would plate two more runs in the fifth and sixth innings on four hits and one more in the ninth inning thanks to Zach Borenstein's two-out RBI double but were unable to rally back to make up the remaining three run deficit.
Relievers David Carpenter, Kaleb Fleck, and Erik Davis combined for four innings of one-hit scoreless ball. Davis tossed the ninth and struck out the side.
The loss brings the Aces to a record of 65-47 on the season, which is still good for one game back of first-place Fresno in the Pacific North division after their loss in Iowa. Reno will continue the homestand with game three of the four-game set against the Nashville Sounds, Triple-A affiliate of the Oakland Athletics, tomorrow, August 5. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. at Greater Nevada Field. Tickets 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.