51s erupt for 6 runs in ninth inning, pound Aces
Josh Rodriguez went 4-for-5 with four RBIs to power the 51s to an 11-4 road victory over the Reno Aces on Friday night at Greater Nevada Field.
Rodriguez’s three-run homer, his fifth home run this season, highlighted a six-run ninth inning for Las Vegas, which lost the series opener to its in-state rivals on Thursday to begin a season-long 11-game trip.
Xorge Carrillo’s two-run single and Brandon Nimmo’s run-scoring single accounted for the 51s’ other runs in the ninth.
Gavin Cecchini went 3-for-5 with three runs for Las Vegas, which pounded five Reno pitchers for 18 hits.
Starter Wilfredo Boscan (1-3) allowed three runs on seven hits, two of them homers, in five innings for the 51s (22-33). He gave Las Vegas a 1-0 lead with a run-scoring single in the second.
“Boscan made some mistakes up in the zone, but I thought that overall he kept us in the game,” 51s manager Pedro Lopez said.
Kevin Plawecki broke a 1-1 tie in the third with a solo homer.
The 51s scored three runs in the sixth to take a 5-3 lead. Rodriguez and Cecchini hit run-scoring doubles, and Jayce Boyd had an RBI single.
“We were aggressive. They made some mistakes (over) the middle of the plate and we took advantage of it,” Lopez said. “We were aggressive and were able to drive balls to all fields.”
Las Vegas reliever Alberto Baldonado escaped a one-out, bases-loaded jam in the seventh, retiring Oswaldo Arcia on a strikeout looking and Christian Walker on a force-out.
“I think that was the game right there, those two at-bats,” Lopez said.
Arcia, Carlos Rivero and Jeremy Hazelbaker hit solo homers for the Aces (34-21).
But Las Vegas pitchers kept Reno’s 1-2 hitters — Ildemaro Vargas and Ketel Marte — from doing any damage, as they went a combined 1-for-10. Ketel Marte leads the Pacific Coast League in hitting with a .378 average.
“We did a good job working ahead and then making them chase our off-speed pitches,” Lopez said. “Those two guys are the ones that get their offense going, especially when you’ve got guys like Arcia and Walker batting in the middle of the order.”
Up next
Who: 51s at Reno Aces
When: 7:05 p.m. Saturday
Where: Greater Nevada Field, Reno
Starters: Steven Matz (0-1, 5.00 ERA), 51s, vs. Eric Jokisch (3-2, 6.86 ERA)
Next five
Sunday: Las Vegas at Reno, 1:05 p.m.
Monday: Las Vegas at Salt Lake, 6:05 p.m.
Tuesday: Las Vegas at Salt Lake, 6:05 p.m.
Wednesday: Las Vegas at Salt Lake, 6:05 p.m.
Thursday: Las Vegas at Salt Lake, 11:05 a.m.
Update
Steven Matz will make his third rehab start for the 51s on Saturday. He was bothered by elbow discomfort to begin the season. In his last start, he threw five perfect innings and struck out eight. He threw 73 pitches, 50 for strikes.
Contact Betsy Helfand at bhelfand@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BetsyHelfand on Twitter.