Reno, NEV. - Game two between the Aces and River Cats went in the favor of the home team Thursday night. Reno defeated Sacramento by a score of 10-9. The Aces scored 10 runs on 11 hits and were led offensively by Juniel Querecuto who went 3-for-4 with three singles
Reno, NEV. - Game two between the Aces and River Cats went in the favor of the home team Thursday night. Reno defeated Sacramento by a score of 10-9. The Aces scored 10 runs on 11 hits and were led offensively by Juniel Querecuto who went 3-for-4 with three singles and an RBI. Starting pitcher Jake Buchanan went 6.0 innings, allowed six runs on 11 hits. The win improves the Aces to a record of 40-47 on the season, 10.5 games back out of first place and two games up over Sacramento.
Kevin Cron followed his 2-for-4, three RBI Independence Day performance with a first-inning three-run home run to left field to give Reno an early 3-0 lead. Kristopher Negrón kept the long-ball trend going in the second inning with a homer into the Aces bullpen, extending the Reno lead to five. In the fourth, Ildemaro Vargas laced a two-RBI double and Juniel Querecuto singled home Vargas to give Reno the 8-0 advantage. Sacramento started to chip away at the Aces lead into the fifth when Steven Duggar hit an RBI double. Then in the sixth, Ryder Jones homered, Trevor Brown plated two with a double, and Miguel Gómez drove in two on a single to right field to cut the lead to two. In the seventh, the River Cats pulled within one after a Chris Shaw home run to right field. Reno would push one across in the bottom of the inning to give the Aces a 9-7 lead. Sacramento wouldn't go away without a fight, as Jones hit a ball into center field scoring Gomez and a fielding error that allowed Chris Shaw to cross the plate which tied the game at nine. In the bottom of the ninth inning, Reno would load the bases by way of a Cron single, and two walks from Anthony Recker and Rey Fuentes. Yasmany Tomás worked the count to two balls and two strikes and then hit a deep fly ball to center field scoring pinch-runner Kevin Medrano. This was the Aces first walk-off win of the season and second consecutive against their I-80 foes.
Top Performers - Reno
• Kristopher Negrón (2-for-3, HR, 2 RBI)
• Kevin Cron (3-for-4, HR, 3 RBI)
• Juniel Querecuto (3-for-4, RBI)
Top Performers - Sacramento
• Miguel Gómez (2-for-5, 3B, 2 RBI)
• Trevor Brown (2-for-5, 2B, 2 RBI)
• Ryder Jones (4-for-5, HR, 2 RBI)
Tomorrow's Matchup
Notes & Information
Player of the Month: Sócrates Brito has been voted by the League's field managers as Minor League Baseball's Pacific Coast League June Player of the Month. Brito posted the highest slugging percentage (.902) and OPS (1.392) among full-season professional baseball players (Minor and Major Leagues) in June, while his 20 extra-base hits and 27 runs scored were the most in Minor League Baseball. In 22 games, Brito got on base at a .490 clip (47-for-96). His also hit .415 (34-for-82; 2nd), with 74 total bases (1st) and 10 doubles (t-3rd), totals that placed among the PCL's best last month. The last season Oswaldo Arcia won D-backs player of the month for the month of May. Arcia batted .367 (29-for-79) with 12 doubles, 6 home runs, and 29 RBI in 22 games. Christian Walker last season also won Most Value Player for the PCL when he hit .309 (159-514) with 32 home runs, 34 doubles, 9 triples, and 144 RBI on the 2017 campaign.
Ronnie Returns: Ronnie Freeman returned to Greater Nevada Field tonight for the first time since September 3rd when the Aces faced the Albuquerque Isotopes. Freeman was a member of the Aces for the end of the 2016 season and all of the 2017 season. As an Ace Freeman batted .260 (65-for-250) with 14 doubles, 3 home runs, and 28 RBI. Tonight, Freeman went 2-for-5 with two singles and a run.
