PCL1 Reno Aces

O'Brien and Buss Lead Aces Past Bees

Published on August 14, 2015 under Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Reno Aces News Release


RENO - Peter O'Brien and Nick Buss (@chilibuss) combined for five hits and five RBI as the Reno Aces (@Aces) won a back-and-forth marathon over the Salt Lake Bees, 13-8, Thursday night at Aces Ballpark.

With the Aces trailing 8-7 in the bottom of the sixth, O'Brien laced a two-out, two-run double down the left-field line to put Reno (57-61) in front for good. Moments later, Mike Freeman (@MikeBFree5) skipped a line drive past Grant Green in left for a two-run triple, making it 11-8.

With winds gusting out to right at 20 miles per hour, hits and runs came aplenty.

Salt Lake (47-72) snagged a 2-0 advantage just two batters into the contest. Following a four-pitch, leadoff walk issued by Aces starter Caleb Clay (@CalebClay), Green smashed a wind-aided two-run homer to right.

The Aces answered with one run in the home half. Buss doubled to start the inning and with two outs, scored on a single by O'Brien to cut the deficit in half.

Salt Lake's Kaleb Cowart opened the third inning with a home run over the 410-foot marker in left-center to push the Bees' lead back to two, but the Aces erupted in the bottom half.

Reno sent ten batters to the plate against Bees starter Drew Rucinski in the frame, resulting in six runs. Brandon Drury started the rally with a single and raced to third on a gap-splitting double by Danny Dorn. Nick Evans then lined a run-scoring single to center, pulling the Aces within one again, 3-2.

After O'Brien was drilled by a Rucinski heater to load the bases, Freeman popped out. The next batter, Cody Ransom (@ransom_cody), tied the game at three with a sacrifice fly, and consecutive two-out hits by Blake Lalli (@BlakeLalli), Jordan Pacheco (@Jstylep) and Buss followed to put Reno in front, 7-3.

The Bees responded in the fourth, knocking Clay out of the game. Back-to-back singles came after Clay beaned Gary Brown to start the inning, forcing Aces skipper Phil Nevin to utilize his bullpen early. Recently-promoted reliever R.J. Hively (@RHives) was summoned, and he promptly served up an RBI single to Green. Two outs later, Kyle Kubitza laced his league-leading 39th double to the right-center gap, bringing the Bees within one, 7-6. Ransom then booted a ground ball at short, allowing the Bees to knot the game at seven.

The score remained in a deadlock briefly. Salt Lake catcher Rafael Lopez hit his first home run of 2015 off the top of the right-field wall with two outs in the fifth to give the Bees another short-lived lead.

Down 8-7, O'Brien hooked his two-run double into the left-field corner after Dorn and Evans drew a pair of walks. Freeman then hustled to third after his sinking line drive bounced past Green in left, scoring two more.

Reno added an insurance run in the eighth, thanks to three walks and an error.

Hively (1-0) got the win in just his second Triple-A appearance. He allowed two runs - one earned - on five hits over three innings. Seth Simmons (@SizzleSimmons95) and Kaleb Fleck (@k_fleck) kept the Bees off the board in the seventh and eighth, while right-hander Kevin Vance (@SorryBoutIt10) worked a scoreless ninth in his Aces' debut.

Ryan Verdugo (3-5) was charged with his first blown save and fifth loss after his sixth-inning debacle.

With his 2-for-4 night, O'Brien is now 8-for-12 in the first three games of the series. Evans' single in the third also extended his hitting streak to a season-high 15 games, matching Garrett Weber's team-high streak set earlier this season.

The nine-inning affair was completed in 3 hours and 29 minutes, matching Wednesday night's total game time.

The finale of the four-game series is set for Friday night at Aces Ballpark. Right-hander Jhoulys Chacin (5-3, 3.36) starts for Reno against Bees right-hander Nick Tropeano (3-5, 4.95). First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m.

Group outings are on-sale now at www.RenoAces.com or by calling (775) 334-4700. For up-to-date news and notes throughout the season, follow the club on Twitter (@aces) or like the team on Facebook.

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Pacific Coast League Stories from August 14, 2015


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