Late Aces Rally Falls Short as Las Vegas 51s Hang on for 8-7 Victory
For seven innings Las Vegas 51s starter Logan Verrett was dominating the Reno Aces. Then the visitors pulled out their Joker, rallying to pull within a run, before falling 8-7. It made for a truly nail-biting conclusion.
Justin Marks started for the Aces and retired the Las Vegas 51s in order in the bottom of the first. In the second he found himself in quite a bit of trouble. Alex Castellanos led off with this 18th double of the year and Jayce Boyd walked to put runners on first and second with no one out. Travis Taijerson flew out to right field moving both runners into scoring position. T. J. Rivera grounded to third, but a throwing error allowed Castellanos to score and Rivera to reach safely. Dan Rohlfing was the next hitter and he took a Marks offering and deposited it over the left-center field wall for his second home run of the season. The three-run shot gave the 51s a 4-0 lead.
In the fifth Las Vegas extended that lead. Brooks Conrad and Alex Castellanos led off the bottom of the inning with back-to-back doubles. Following a balk, Taijeron delivered a sacrifice fly that scored Castellanos and it was 6-0.
Through the first seven innings Verrett was cruising. The right-hander allowed just a single base runner in five of the first seven innings, while retiring the side in order in the other two. The Reno Aces seemed to have no answer for the Las Vegas 51s starter, but in the eighth they finally got on the board.
Nick Buss’ pinch-hit single with one out got the inning going. Two batters later Jordan Pacheco drove Buss home to give the visitors their first run of the game. That would be the last batter that Verrett would face.
The righty pitched 7.2 innings, allowing 6 hits and 2 runs. He struck out 5 in moving his record to 2-0.
Cody Satterwhite took over for Verrett and was greeted with a base hit by Danny Dorn. The next batter was Peter O’Brien, who would bring his team within two runs with his 13th home run of the season.
Needing some insurance runs the Las Vegas 51s got two runs back in the bottom of the eighth inning. Dan Runzler relieved for Reno and walked Boyd to begin the frame. Taijeron followed with his 11th homer of the season to make it 8-4. That gave the Las Vegas 51s right fielder three RBI, giving him 31 this season.
John Church began the ninth for Las Vegas. Todd Glaesmann began the inning with his third home run of the season to cut the 51s lead to three. Cody Ransom doubled and Nick Evans and Nick Buss were walked to load the bases with no one out.
Jon Velasquez relieved looking to keep this game from getting away. He gave up a sacrifice fly to Garrett Weber that scored Ransom and a base hit to Danny Doran that brought Evans across home plate, but with first and third and two outs Velasquez struck out O’Brien to end the game. It was the reliever’s third save of the season.
Castellanos was 3-4 with 2 runs and an RBI. He also hit two doubles. Both Taijeron and Rohlfing had three RBI.
By Robert Pannier