Kole Calhoun shines, Aces reach 30-win plateau in 6-5 victory

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – The Reno Aces become the first team in Triple-A West and the fastest club in franchise history to reach 30 wins after downing Sacramento, 6-5, on Monday evening.

With tonight’s victory, Blake Lalli’s squad moves to 30-17 on the year, surpassing the 30-19 record set by the 2017 team. The Aces are just the fourth team in Triple-A to reach the 30-win mark in 2021, joining Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, Durham and Nashville.

Calhoun made three appearances at the dish, smashing a two-run shot in the opening frame and a solo shot in the sixth, both on the first pitch.

The veteran outfielder, along with Ildemaro Vargas and Drew Ellis, became the first trio of Aces to rock three consecutive home runs since Aug. 27, 2014, when Mike Jacobs, Garrett Weber and Roger Kieschnick went back-to-back-to-back against Oklahoma City.

With his dinger in the sixth, Vargas extended his hitting streak to three while Ben DeLuzio increased his to four with an RBI single three batters later.

Tyler Gilbert tossed his longest outing of the season, going 5.1 innings off the rubber and allowing just two runs on three hits with four strikeouts.

Jake McCarthy reached base safely for the sixth-straight game since being called up after working a leadoff walk to start the game. The Aces jumped out to an early 2-0 lead following the base on balls when Calhoun smacked the first pitch he saw for a two-run shot to right-center.

With his home run, the 33-year-old increased his hitting streak at the Triple-A level to 14 games, riding this stretch since July 23, 2013.

Both teams were held off the scoreboard through the fifth inning as the Aces’ Gilbert and the River Cats’ Matt Frisbee allowed one base runner apiece, each surrendering a double and retiring at least seven straight batters during the stretch.

The Aces broke the scoreless drought with a four-run top of the sixth to take a 6-0 lead. After Vargas, Calhoun and Ellis smacked consecutive solo homers, Ben DeLuzio extended his hitting streak to four on an RBI single that brought Juniel Querecuto around to score.

Sacramento put a pair of runs on the board in the home half of the sixth on a two-run home run off of Jason Vosler’s bat to slash the Aces’ advantage, 6-2.

Following a blank seventh, the River Cats scored a run on a Vosler double in the eighth, bringing the home squad to within three, 6-3.

Miguel Aguilar came on in the ninth and allowed two runs, 6-5, before picking up his fifth save of the year.

Reno returns to action for the series finale on Tuesday against the River Cats, with the first pitch slated for 7:05 p.m. PT. Aces’ Corbin Martin is slated to take the mound opposite Scott Kazmir at Sutter Health Park. Tuesday’s contest can be heard on renoaces.com or locally on KPLY 630 AM with Zack Bayrouty on the call.