Reno Closes Out Two-Week Road Trip with Series Split in Oklahoma City

RENO, Nev. – The Reno Aces (30–33) wrapped up a two-week road trip with a six-game split against the Oklahoma City Comets (36–25), the Triple-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers, at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark.

Reno started strong, taking back-to-back wins on Tuesday and Wednesday, but couldn’t maintain momentum, dropping three of the final four games to finish the series even.

Jordan Lawlar led the charge in Tuesday’s 7–6 thriller. The highly touted prospect drove in four runs, launching a solo homer in the first inning and adding a bases-clearing double in the seventh to give the Aces a three-run cushion. The Comets clawed back, tying the game at six entering the ninth. Reno reclaimed the lead when Jorge Barrosa drove in Jake McCarthy on a bang-bang RBI fielder’s choice at the plate. In the bottom half, manager Jeff Gardner turned to Sean Reid-Foley, who pitched through a tense frame—working around two walks and striking out the final two batters—to notch his first save of the season.

Wednesday’s 6–5 comeback win was powered by one of two clutch home runs Trey Mancini delivered in the series. Trailing by two with two outs in the ninth, the veteran first baseman blasted a three-run homer to left, flipping the game on its head and sealing another thrilling Aces victory. The Comets had added insurance runs in the eighth, but Reno answered as McCarthy and Barrosa drew walks to set the table. Down to his final strike, Mancini crushed his eighth homer of the year off Logan Boyer to complete the comeback.

The Aces wouldn’t come across another win until Friday’s dramatic 8–7 victory, fueled once more by ninth-inning heroics from Lawlar and Mancini. The game featured six lead changes, and Reno took a brief lead in the seventh after Barrosa tripled home a run, and Mancini added a sacrifice fly. The Comets responded in the eighth to go up by two. Facing a two-run deficit in the ninth, Lawlar trimmed it with his eighth homer of the season — a leadoff blast to left. Barrosa walked to bring the tying run aboard, and Mancini followed by launching a two-run, game-winning homer off Will Klein, his second ninth-inning, game-winner of the series.

Top Diamondbacks prospects Dylan Ray and Spencer Giesting made their long-awaited Triple-A debuts during the series.

Ray impressed in his first outing in Tuesday’s opener, allowing three runs on six hits over five innings, with one walk and one strikeout. After a rocky first inning in which he surrendered a pair of home runs, the D-backs’ No. 20 prospect (per MLB Pipeline) settled in and tossed four scoreless frames to finish strong. He followed up with his second start in Sunday’s series finale, working four innings and allowing three runs on four hits and four walks, while striking out five. Ray earned his promotion from Double-A Amarillo after a dominant May, where he posted five consecutive quality starts, going 5–0 with a 2.03 ERA, 35 strikeouts, and just three walks.

Giesting was equally effective in his debut in Saturday’s narrow 4–3 loss. The promising left-hander allowed just one run on four hits and three walks across four innings, striking out three. Giesting earned his call-up after a strong start to the season with Double-A Amarillo, where he posted a 3.41 ERA and tallied 59 strikeouts over 56 1/3 innings for the Sod Poodles.

Following a two-week road trip, the Aces now return home to Greater Nevada Field to open a six-game set against the Sugar Land Space Cowboys, the Triple-A affiliate of the Houston Astros. First pitch for Tuesday’s series opener is scheduled for 6:35 p.m. PST.