Garcia’s Safety Squeeze Steals Victory for Aces

SUGAR LAND, Tex. – An RBI bunt on a squeeze play from the most unlikely of sources was what lifted the Reno Aces to victory on Wednesday as Aramis Garcia’s bunt to the first base side allowed the go-ahead run to score in what became a 2-1 Reno win over the Sugar Land Space Cowboys.

Already one of the best small ball teams in all affiliated baseball, the Aces (28-30/60-73) got creative by dropping down a bunt with one out and runners at the corners. Garcia placed it perfectly to the right side, with the glove flip towards home from Space Cowboys (36-23/68-65) second baseman Trevor Austin just late.

That was the second consecutive run of the game for Reno as they needed a response to Sugar Land breaking the game’s scoreless tie on an RBI groundout, scoring Lucas Spence who had doubled to start the third.

The Aces struck back during the fourth in similar fashion as A.J. Vukovich doubled at the beginning of the frame, but he later crossed the plate when Anderdson Rojas singled through the left side after it deflected off the glove of the diving Raynel Delgado at shortstop.

Following a night in which the Reno held the Sugar Land offense without a run, the Aces’ staff nearly did it again as the only run was allowed by starter Avery Short, who checked out after three hits allowed and five strikeouts to a pair of walks over 4.2 innings.

It was the bullpen that shined once again, this time working the final 3.1 frames, this time allowing just two hits after issuing just a pair of free passes in yesterday’s win. Earning the win was Juan Burgos (3-5), who struck out two with one hit allowed in the seventh, while Isaiah Campbell (S, 4) converted his fourth by working the final six outs and striking out three.

Eight of the 10 Aces that came to the plate recorded a hit, but Vukovich’s double is what separated him from the rest as he was 2-for-4 with a run scored. Garcia’s game-winning RBI came despite him not logging a hit, while the rehabbing Tommy Troy ended the game 1-for-3 with a double.

Not only did Rojas earn an RBI in a 1-for-4 effort, but he also dropped down his own sacrifice bunt in the seventh inning which stands him apart from the rest in the Aces record books. That was his 19th sacrifice bunt of the season, which is a new Aces franchise record, not just for a season but for a career. The previous mark was 18 which had been reached twice by Mark Hallberg and Ed Rogers.

Now ahead 2-0 in the series, the Aces can clinch at minimum a series split with a win in game three on Thursday which gets underway from Constellation Field at 5:05 p.m. PT.