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MLB

Aces Win Three Straight to Finish 2026 with Series Victory

Photo courtesy Ralph Thompson MiLB
By Reno Aces
September 21, 2026

RENO, Nev. – It was an impressive finish to the 2026 campaign for the Reno Aces as they closed the season with three consecutive victories to secure a final series victory against the Sacramento River Cats, Triple-A affiliate of the San Francisco Giants. While the River Cats had taken games

RENO, Nev. – It was an impressive finish to the 2026 campaign for the Reno Aces as they closed the season with three consecutive victories to secure a final series victory against the Sacramento River Cats, Triple-A affiliate of the San Francisco Giants.

While the River Cats had taken games one and three, the Aces earned a hard-fought 3-2 victory in game two before taking each of the last three contests by three runs or fewer to earn their first set win since they also took four of six against the Tacoma Rainiers from June 21-26.

A second-inning leadoff blast from Demetrio Crisantes put the Aces on the scoreboard first in their series opener with the River Cats, but a pair of four-run frames for Sacramento pushed Reno to a 9-2 defeat on Sept. 15.

Though seven innings the Aces managed to produce only one run thanks to a solo homer that started the second inning from Crisantes, his third at Triple-A this season.

Reno was finally able to add more to their total in the top of the eighth inning, all starting with the first Triple-A from Trent Youngblood after a deep fly ball to right hit off the wall. Youngblood quickly scored in the next at-bat on an RBI groundout from Santiago Espinal.

A dominant start from Yu-Min Lin allowed the Reno offense a chance to build a slim but sturdy lead, one that withstood a ninth inning push by Sacramento to ultimately end in a 3-2 victory for the Aces on Sept. 16.

The star of the night for the Aces (32-38/64-81) was southpaw starter Yu-Min Lin (9-9), who was stellar in his final outing of the 2026 campaign. Lin retired each of the first 12 batters he faced through the first four innings, with the streak ultimately breaking on a fifth-inning leadoff triple from Parks Harber.

Though Harber would score in the next at-bat on an RBI groundout, that was the only blemish of Lin’s effort as he continued to work through the seventh inning while allowing only one hit. Lin did not walk a batter in the outing, making him the first Ace to work seven or more innings without a walk since Cecconi on July 27, 2023 against Oklahoma City.

All that effort resulted in Lin’s seventh quality start of the season, which is the most by an Ace since both Tommy Henry and Brandon Pfaadt each also tallied seven in the 2022 season.

While Lin was dealing on the mound, the offense found just enough run support to supply him the victory. All three runs were tallied in the fifth inning, the first two of which with one swing of the bat as Adrian Del Castillo launched his sixth homer of the Triple-A campaign.

Taking the baton from Lin was Juan Burgos, who worked around a pair of walks to keep Sacramento off the scoreboard in the eighth. Though he allowed one run in the ninth on a pair of hits, Kade Strowd (S, 4) closed the door and converted his fourth save of the season.

The Reno bats struggled to find hits in game three of their series with Sacramento, logging their first knock of the game in the sixth before ultimately dropping a 3-0 final on Sept. 17.

The Aces finally broke the streak to start the sixth when Tommy Troy was able to leg out an infield single on a broken bat ball to shortstop. Aramis Garcia quickly joined him aboard with a single of his own into right field, but both runners were left stranded.

Sacramento did all its scoring in the game with one swing of the bat from Bo Davidson in the third, plating all three runs when he launched his 10th Triple-A homer of the season. That homer was the only blemish on the night for Reno starter Mitch Bratt, who struck out six with only one walk but yielded the three runs on six hits in five full innings.

Those five innings that Reno were held without a hit were their most in a game since they were nearly no-hit for the first time at Greater Nevada Field last year on July 26, 2025 against Oklahoma City in a game started by Blake Snell until a ninth inning leadoff triple by Albert Almora Jr.

Though their lead disappeared in the bottom of the eighth, the Aces recovered quickly in the top of the ninth and found two final runs to secure a 6-4 victory over the River Cats on Sept. 18.

In their second set of swings Reno took the game’s first lead, doing so with a two-out single by Kristian Robinson that deflected off River Cats pitcher Darien Smith, allowing Gavin Conticello to score after he had opened the frame with a single.

That lead grew in the third with a three-spot for the Aces, the first two of which came via the big fly from the duo of Tommy Troy and Adrian Del Castillo. Troy’s leadoff blast to center was his fifth of the year and traveled 428 feet, but he was quickly outdone when Del Castillo’s seventh of the Triple-A campaign out to right field topped him just barely at 433 feet.

Locked in a new ballgame, the Aces quickly regained their advantage and countered with two runs of their own in the top of the ninth. Both scored on a two-out double by Gavin Conticello, but the inning came to an end when Conticello was thrown out trying to advance to third.

On to try to close out the ballgame for the Aces was Reno’s 2026 Pitcher of the Year in Gerardo Carrillo, who saw things get interesting with the bases loaded and two outs in the ninth. Following an intentional walk to Bo Davidson, Carrillo then slammed the door by striking out Parks Harber to lock down a 6-4 Aces win and his seventh save of the season.

A three-run first and a dominant effort by the pitching staff, including a solid start by Tommy Henry, helped Reno secure a 7-4 Saturday night victory over Sacramento on Sept. 19.

Before most fans had found their seats the Aces had snatched a lead, scoring three straight runs before recording an out in the first inning. Santiago Espinal singled while Tommy Troy reached on an error, all setting up a two-RBI double for Adrian Del Castillo.

Matt O’Neill tacked one more onto that early lead in the top of the fourth when he ripped a single through the right side, allowing A.J. Vukovich to cross the plate after he had originally doubled to left field with one out.

Reno countered a Sacramento run in the fourth when Kristian Robinson launched a solo blast to straightaway center field in the sixth, his 15th homer of the campaign. That homer made Robinson the only Ace in franchise history to record a season of 15 homers and 22 stolen bases, as no other Ace has ever eclipsed a 14-homer, 16-stolen base season.

Dominant starting pitching has been a theme for Reno this week, and that continued Saturday as Tommy Henry earned his 24th career Aces victory which is now tied with Zach Kroenke for third place in the Aces record books.

The trio of Dylan Ray, Juan Burgos and Kade Strowd entered after Henry and each punched out one batter in a clean inning, each working successively from the sixth through eighth frames.

Sunday’s series and season finale was one the Aces could feel good about going into the offseason as Reno captured their third straight win over the River Cats with a pair of big hits and stellar pitching, all culminating in a 4-1 victory on Sept. 20.

Through three innings the Aces had yet to record a hit, but their first came in a big way and gave them the lead as Adrian Del Castillo launched his eighth Triple-A homer of the season in two-run fashion out to right field.

Other than a solo homer in the third, Reno starter Ashton Izzi did not allow a run and checked out after five frames while punching out six without a walk. That effort made him the fifth Ace to reach those marks this season, but the third in this series against Sacramento after Yu-Min Lin (Sept. 16) and Jose Cabrera (Sept. 18).

For the second time in the game the Aces produced a two-run frame, with both scoring on one swing of the bat in the seventh. This time the culprit was Kristian Robinson as he ripped a ball to deep right field that rolled into the corner, but Robinson was thrown out trying to stretch a double into three bases.

A familiar sight was the Reno bullpen locking down the game in dominant fashion, as they worked the final four frames while holding the River Cats without a hit or run. Ryan Thompson, appearing on rehab, entered first and punched out two while walking one. On to close the door was Jonatan Bernal (S, 1), who worked a clean ninth inning while striking out one to convert his first career Triple-A save.

The seven hits over the week by Demetrio Crisantes were the most on the Aces, as was his .333 batting average, 1.059 OPS, and three doubles. Adrian Del Castillo totaled seven RBI on the week, most on the Aces, doing so on the strength of a team-best three homers.

Eight different Aces hurlers pitched at least one inning and did not allow a run, but the duo of Jonatan Bernal (2.2 innings) and Juan Burgos (2.0 innings) were the only two that made multiple appearances.

It will be nearly six months before the Aces take the field again, as they next time they do so will be the start of the 2027 season against the Round Rock Express in Texas on March 26, 2027.

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