Reno Wins 16-5 in Sunday's Series Finale
The El Paso Chihuahuas lost 16-5 to the Reno Aces Sunday night. El Paso tied a team record using nine pitchers in a nine inning game. Starting pitcher Jay Groome (1-5) earned the loss, giving up five runs without completing the first inning. Reno’s Michel Otanez (1-0) earned his first
The El Paso Chihuahuas lost 16-5 to the Reno Aces Sunday night. El Paso tied a team record using nine pitchers in a nine inning game. Starting pitcher Jay Groome (1-5) earned the loss, giving up five runs without completing the first inning. Reno’s Michel Otanez (1-0) earned his first win of the season with two scoreless innings in relief. Chihuahuas pitchers tied a season high issuing 12 walks in the game and gave up 17 hits.
El Paso lost the first and final games of the six-game home series, but tallied four consecutive wins in the middle to earn the series victory. This week marked the Chihuahuas third consecutive home series victory. El Paso is 15-12 at Southwest University Park in 2023.
Second baseman Tim Lopes reached base four of five times. He went 2-for-3 with a home run, three RBI and two walks. The home run was his ninth of the season and he is the second Chihuahuas player to reach 30 RBI in 2023. The only out he made was the final out of the game.
Rehabbing Diamondbacks outfielder Kyle Lewis hit two home runs in his first two at-bats for the Aces. He went 2-for-5 in the game with a walk and four RBI.
The Aces quickly jumped out to a 5-0 lead, batting around in the first inning. Lewis opened the scoring with a two-run, opposite field home run. Later in the inning, Dominic Miroglio dueled Groome in a nine-pitch battle. He earned an RBI walk for a 3-0 lead. With two outs, Jorge Barrosa extended the lead 5-0 with a broken-bat, two-run bloop single into left field. Groome exited recording just two outs and was relieved by Reiss Knehr. Knehr entered and struck out Dominic Fletcher, Reno’s leadoff hitter, to end the lengthy first inning.
Lopes cut the deficit 5-2 in the bottom of the first with a towering two-run home run off Reno starter Tyler Gilbert. The ball was hit 95.9 mph and 404 feet to Missouri Street beyond left field. Lewis swiftly erased Lopes’ counterpunch with his second two-run home run of the game in the second inning.
Matthew Batten collected his team-leading 35th RBI of the season with a run-scoring groundout in the second inning. Taylor Kohlwey added another run for the Chihuahuas in the third inning on a sacrifice fly.
Kohlwey posted 11 of his 25 RBI this season in the series against Reno. He also tallied an outfield assist in the top of the fourth inning, cutting down Barrosa at the plate. Eight of the Chihuahuas nine outfield assists this season have come at home plate. All four of Kohlwey’s outfield assists this season have also been at home plate.
After leading 9-4, the Aces scored six unanswered runs for a 15-4 lead. El Paso tacked on the final two runs of the game in the bottom of the seventh.
Following an off-day tomorrow, the Chihuahuas return to action with a six-game series at Las Vegas next week. Game one is Tuesday, May 30 at 8:05 p.m. Mountain Time. The game can be streamed on MiLB.TV and the radio call will be on 600 ESPN El Paso.