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MLB

Reno Returns Home to Near Series Victory Against Sacramento

By Reno Aces
3:11 PM EDT

RENO, Nev. – The Reno Aces made the most of their contests in friendly confines this week against the Sacramento River Cats by using stellar pitching combined with an explosive offense to secure a series split. After dropping each of the first two games, Reno had swiped games three through

RENO, Nev. – The Reno Aces made the most of their contests in friendly confines this week against the Sacramento River Cats by using stellar pitching combined with an explosive offense to secure a series split.

After dropping each of the first two games, Reno had swiped games three through five and were just three outs away from completing a series victory. However, a ninth-inning homer from Sacramento was able to erase their deficit and make sure that the set ended with both teams winning three games.

A solo home run from Pavin Smith in the fourth inning was the first of three straight run-scoring frames for the Aces, but the River Cats took control over the rest of the contest and took the series opener by a 12-3 final on Aug. 25.

Smith’s blast was his fourth of the year for Reno, leaving the yard on the second pitch in the bottom of the fourth. The rehabbing Lourdes Gurriel Jr. added the third RBI of his assignment via a sacrifice fly in the fifth, while a Santiago Espinal single to right brought home Reno’s final run in the sixth.

It was an impressive night for Espinal, as his RBI single was one of his three hits that he collected in four trips to the plate. Tommy Troy joined Gurriel Jr. on rehab, logging a double in four at-bats.

Doing their best to answer the bell each time, Reno battled all the way through and had a chance to knot the contest in the late stages, but Sacramento held firm in the end to give the Aces a 6-4 defeat on Aug. 26.

Demetrio Crisantes broke through in a big way for Reno in the fourth as he made Sacramento pay for a one-out walk to Manuel Pena by smashing the second homer of his Triple-A career, his first at Greater Nevada Field.

A trio of Aces combined for six of the 10 Reno hits in the contest, as Tommy Troy, Crisantes and Anderdson Rojas each logged a pair of knocks. Crisantes scored twice in the contest, while Kristian Robinson and Gavin Logan each had a double.

Scoring once in each the first and second innings put the Aces on the path to a victory, eventually securing a 5-0 shutout win over the River Cats in game three of their series on Aug. 27.

Reno got started quickly by scoring once in each the first and second innings, breaking the game’s scoreless tie thanks to a Manuel Pena two-out single up the middle that scored LuJames Groover, who had walked earlier in the frame. That lead doubled in the second when Pavin Smith doubled, also with two away, and traded places with Christian Cerda, who logged his own two-bagger with one out.

Pitching was stellar throughout as Avery Short was transferred from Double-A Amarillo and tossed five run-free frames, allowing just three hits and walking one without a strikeout for his first Triple-A career victory.

This victory was the second shutout win of the season for Reno over the River Cats, as they also blanked the Sacramento by a 4-0 final in their first meeting of the season back on May 5. Overall, it was the 13th time in franchise history that the Aces have shut out the River Cats.

Pena led Reno in hits with three in four trips, his seventh three-hit effort at Triple-A this season, while scoring once while also driving one in. Both Anderdson Rojas and Conticello ended their nights 2-for-4, the latter also doubling and driving one in.

A quick and efficient offensive explosion was the key to victory on Aug. 28 as the Aces used a four-run first while Yu-Min Lin tossed his sixth quality start, all allowing Reno to cruise their way to a 6-1 win over the River Cats.

Stepping up to deliver first was Tyler Locklear, ripping a ball through the left side to bring home the first run. Both Gurriel Jr. and Locklear scored on the next at-bat thanks to the double of LuJames Groover, who hammered a ball off the wall in the left field corner. Groover represented the final run of the frame, ultimately crossing home on a single to right field from A.J. Vukovich.

Reno’s pitching staff was once again stiff throughout, holding the River Cats to just a single tally during the sixth when a leadoff walk turned into a run on a groundout.

Though it was allowed by Lin, that run was the only blemish of his outing. The southpaw checked out after 6.1 frames with only two hits allowed, striking out three and walking two in the process of his team-leading sixth quality start of the season.

Reno’s offense put up double-digit runs to support a dominant pitching performance as the Aces cruised to a 12-2 victory over Sacramento on Aug. 29.

The Aces dominated from the start by plating four runs in the second, two in the third, five in the fifth and one more in the sixth. All the offense backed a perfect two innings of rehab from Corbin Burnes, who went six-up, six-down on just 17 pitches in his first official start back in affiliated ball after undergoing elbow surgery last season.

Following Burnes’ clean two innings of work, Tommy Henry worked five scoreless frames to earn the victory. The southpaw struck out four while allowing just two hits.

Conticello notched his third RBI of the night in the sixth to wrap up a four-hit effort, the first of his Triple-A career. Crisantes joined him atop the BLC-Nine offense with a 3-for-5 night and three runs scored.

Three outs away from a Sunday and series victory, the Aces saw their lead disappear after a ninth inning homer that swung the game to a 9-7 decision in favor of the River Cats in their set finale on Aug. 30.

For nearly all game the Aces had battled from ahead, staking an early 1-0 lead in the second thanks to a Santiago Espinal double that scored Tyler Locklear. The two teams would often trade runs through the game, entering the latter stages with a slim lead for Reno. That included the ninth homer of the season from Locklear, a three-run blast that had rebuilt the Aces’ lead in the fifth inning.

Then came the toughest inning of the day for Reno, who saw the River Cats take the lead just three batters into the ninth when Davidson launched a three-run homer to right field.

For a second straight day the Aces had a rehab appearance start on the mound as Zac Gallen appeared for the first time this season and allowed only a single hit and two walks with two strikeouts in 1.2 innings.

For a second straight day, Conticello finished his game with four hits by going 4-for-5 with a run scored and double. That made Conticello the first Ace to record back-to-back four-hit games since Jake McCarthy on May 20 and May 23, 2023.

Henry’s relief performance in game five of the series was so strong, that it earned him weekly recognition from the Pacific Coast League as he was today named the PCL Pitcher of the Week. It is Henry’s first ever PCL weekly honor, and he is the third to earn it this season along with Kohl Drake and Jose Cabrera.

Those four-hit games also helped Conticello lead the Aces in average for the week, hitting an astounding .556 with three runs scored, three doubles, four RBI, and a 1.278 OPS. Manuel Pena also hit the .500 point right on the dot, and Anderdson Rojas chipped in a pair of RBI to go with a .400 weekly batting average.

The Aces will now hit the road as they travel to Salt Lake to take on the Bees for the final time in 2026 beginning on Tuesday.

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