Aces run wild in 11-run inning
Triple-A Reno sent 16 men to the plate and scored 11 runs in the frame, turning a close game into a 13-5 rout of host Fresno.
The Aces collected eight hits in the inning -- Pedro Ciriaco and Chris Rahl contributed two apiece -- and took advantage of four walks, a wild pitch and a hit batsman. Nine of the runs scored after there were two outs.
Fresno starter Matt Yourkin, who had allowed two runs on three hits while fanning eight through the first six innings, gave up a leadoff double to Ciriaco, then got Carlos Corporan to line out.
His replacement, Osiris Matos, immediately surrendered a triple to Rahl, who went on to score on a wild pitch. Ed Rogers singled to right, but was picked off by Matos for the second out of the inning.
After Matos (1-2) walked Yunesky Sanchez, Alex Hinshaw emerged from the bullpen. He walked the first two batters he faced to load the bases. Reno's Jeff Bailey singled to left to drive in two more runs. Hinshaw plunked Brandon Allen to load the bases again, then yielded a two-run single to Ciriaco.
Andrew Romo came on in relief of Hinshaw and walked Corporan to load the bases yet again, then gave up an RBI single to Rahl. Rogers reached on a grounder to short, scoring Ciriaco, before Sanchez and Drew Macias drove in three more runs with a pair of singles. John Hester lined out to right to end the assault.
Jason Urquidez (3-2) got the win for Reno. He threw three pitches, inducing a groundout from Fresno's Steve Holm to end the sixth.
The Aces took three of four games in Fresno despite trailing the first-place Grizzlies by 15 1/2 games in the Pacific Coast League's Pacific South Division.