51s blow three saves, lose in 12 to Albuquerque
The 51s blew three save opportunities against Albuquerque and fell victim to a two-out, walk-off home run in the bottom of the 12th inning in dropping a heartbreaking 6-4 Pacific Coast League decision at Isotopes Park on Sunday night.
Las Vegas had the lead going into the bottom of the eighth, ninth and 12th innings and coughed it up each time. It was reliever Josh Edgin in the eighth, Josh Smoker in the ninth and then Zack Thornton in the 12th, serving up the decisive homer to Tom Murphy.
T.J. Rivera, Marc Krauss and Eric Campbell each had late-game RBIs for Las Vegas that could have been the game-winner. Brandon Nimmo and Ty Kelly each had three hits and Dilson Herrera added a pair of runs scored for the 51s.
The wild finish overshadowed a pitchers’ duel between Duane Below of the 51s and Albuquerque’s Carlos Hernandez. Both pitchers went six innings without allowing an earned run. Below surrendered one unearned run.
The game tied for the longest of the season by innings for Las Vegas. The 51s dropped a 5-3, 12-inning game to the Nashville Sounds at Cashman Field on May 25.
Up next
Who: Reno Aces at Las Vegas 51s
When: 7:05 p.m. Monday
Where: Cashman Field
Starters: Edwin Escobar (2-1, 4.68 ERA) vs. Gabriel Ynoa (7-1, 2.82 ERA)
Next five
Tuesday: Reno at Las Vegas, 7:05 p.m.
Wednesday: Reno at Las Vegas, 7:05 p.m.
Thursday: Reno at Las Vegas, 7:05 p.m.
Friday: Las Vegas at Salt Lake, 6:05 p.m.
Saturday: Las Vegas at Salt Lake, 5:35 p.m.
Update
Reliever Erik Goeddel was recalled by the New York Mets after recently being named closer of the 51s. To make room onthe roster, the Mets optioned Logan Verrett to Las Vegas. … Monday’s starter for Reno, Edwin Escobar, is making his firststart in Triple-A since getting sent down by the Arizona Diamondbacks. He was 0-2 in two starts.
Justin Emerson/Las Vegas Review-Journal. Contact him at jemerson@reviewjournal.com.
