Aces Kick Off September Slate with Six-Game Road Trip in Tacoma

RENO, Nev. – Following a series loss to the Sacramento River Cats, the Reno Aces (17-40, 54-78) will open September with a six-game road trip to Tacoma to face the Rainiers (37-20, 75-57), the Triple-A affiliate of the Seattle Mariners. First pitch in the series opener is set for Tuesday, September 2, at 6:05 p.m. at Cheney Stadium.

Tacoma enters the matchup riding momentum from a dominant road trip in El Paso, where they took five of six games from the Chihuahuas. The series win gave the Rainiers a sizeable cushion in the second-half standings, moving three games ahead of Sacramento for first place and positioning them for a Pacific Coast League playoff berth.

Reno has squared off against Tacoma 18 times this season, with the Rainiers holding an 11-7 edge. The two clubs last met in early August at Cheney Stadium, where the Aces took the first two contests before Tacoma rebounded to win the final four.

Players to watch for Tacoma include infielder Samad Taylor and right-hander Casey Lawrence.

Taylor has been a thorn in Reno’s side all year. In 17 games against the Aces, the 27-year-old is slashing .303/.427/.500 with four doubles, three home runs, 16 RBI, and 14 walks. He just wrapped up a strong August, hitting .282 (31-for-110) with five extra-base hits and 14 RBI in 25 games. Taylor has been particularly dangerous against left-handed pitching, batting .348 (48-for-138) with four doubles, a triple, seven homers, and 24 RBI. With Reno sending southpaws Yu-Min Lin and Spencer Giesting to the mound this week, he’ll be a key matchup to watch.

Lawrence is no stranger to the Aces, logging 23 innings against them this season. In four starts, he’s posted a 3.91 ERA with 11 strikeouts and five walks. He last faced Reno on August 10, allowing just one run across five innings to earn the win. His best outing of the year also came against the BLC-Nine on July 9, when he spun seven scoreless frames with four strikeouts and no walks. The veteran right-hander, now 37, will look to extend his success against Reno.

For the Aces, AJ Vukovich has been red-hot and will be a focal point for their offense. In 10 games against Tacoma, he’s batting .385/.429/.667 with six extra-base hits, including two homers, and six RBI. He capped off a monster August, going 32-for-82 (.390) with four doubles, six homers, 19 RBI, and 14 walks. Vukovich will aim to carry that momentum into September.

Kristian Robinson is another player to keep an eye on after a breakout series against Sacramento, where he went 6-for-14 (.429) with four extra-base hits and seven RBI. The former top prospect appears to be heating up and could play a big role in Tacoma.

The six-game set between Reno and Tacoma begins Tuesday, September 2, at 6:05 p.m. at Cheney Stadium.

Single-game tickets are sold at RenoAces.com, the Greater Nevada Field Ticket Office, or by texting “TIXX” to 21003. Season Memberships are available via RenoAces.com, texting “MEMBER” to 21003, or calling (775) 334-7000.

-ACES-