Aces Travel to El Paso for Southwest Showdown Against the Chihuahuas

RENO, Nev. – Following a six-game series split with the Sugar Land Space Cowboys, the Reno Aces (33–36) will hit the road for a six-game set against the El Paso Chihuahuas (36–33), the Triple-A affiliate of the San Diego Padres. The series begins Tuesday, June 18, at Southwest University Park, with first pitch scheduled for 5:35 p.m. PST.

The Chihuahuas are coming off a road split with the Round Rock Express and currently sit in fourth place in the Pacific Coast League. They've played well at home this season, winning 19 of 33 contests at Southwest University Park, and have taken six of their last 10 games.

Key players to watch in El Paso’s lineup include infielder Yonathan Perlaza and outfielder Tirso Ornelas.

Perlaza, a switch-hitter from Venezuela, has been a steady force in the Chihuahuas' lineup. The 26-year-old leads the team with a .288/.345/.461 slash line, 29 extra-base hits, and 49 RBI. His 22 doubles are tied for the league lead with Reno’s Jorge Barrosa. Perlaza is coming off a productive series against Round Rock, going 6-for-22 (.273) with a homer and five RBI. He spent last season in the KBO with the Hanwha Eagles, where he slashed .275/.364/.486 with 24 home runs and 70 RBI across 122 games—enough to earn a minor league deal with San Diego. Containing Perlaza will be key for the Aces this week.

Ornelas, the Padres’ No. 11 overall prospect, is a familiar threat to the Aces. The 25-year-old outfielder was one of the PCL’s top hitters in 2024, posting a .297/.367/.497 line with 24 doubles, 23 home runs, and 89 RBI in 128 games. He went 10-for-44 (.227) with four RBI against Reno last season and enters the series after a standout month of May, hitting .322/.362/.494 with nine doubles and 19 RBI in 21 games. Ornelas earned his first bid to the big leagues in April, but struggled, going 1-for-14 with an RBI and two walks before returning to El Paso. The Aces will need to stay sharp against one of the league’s most polished bats.

While Reno split the Sugar Land series, the offense exploded in a major way, slashing .360/.452/.636 with 15 home runs and 60 RBI across the six-game homestand. Blaze Alexander and Trey Mancini led the charge.

Blaze Alexander was something else last week 🤩 @BAlexander52 | @MiLB | @MLBPipeline pic.twitter.com/LPcPSwb2sf

— Reno Aces (@Aces) June 17, 2025

Alexander had his best series of the season, going 9-for-22 (.409) with four home runs and 13 RBI. The flashy 26-year-old is heating up in June, hitting .364 (16-for-44) with eight extra-base hits and 18 RBI over 11 games.

Mancini was equally impressive, going 12-for-20 (.600) with a double, two home runs, and nine RBI against Sugar Land. The veteran first baseman has been a reliable bat all season, slashing .302/.369/.490 with 15 doubles, 11 homers, and 53 RBI.

After wrapping up the road trip in El Paso, the Aces will return home to host the Salt Lake Bees, Triple-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Angels. That six-game series begins Tuesday, June 24, with first pitch set for 6:35 p.m. at Greater Nevada Field.

Single-game tickets are sold at RenoAces.com, the Greater Nevada Field Ticket Office, or by texting “TIXX” to 21003. Season Memberships are available via RenoAces.com, texting “MEMBER” to 21003, or calling (775) 334-7000.

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