PCL Reno Aces

Reno Aces Game Notes and 2021 Coverage Information

Published on May 6, 2021 under Pacific Coast League (PCL)
Reno Aces News Release


Today's Game: Reno Aces baseball is officially back! The Aces and the Bees will kick off their respective 2021 campaigns at Smith's Field in Salt Lake City, Utah. Reno officially enters their 12th season as the Triple-A affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks. It has been 613 days since the Aces have played a game after the COVID-19 pandemic shutdown the 2020 campaign. Their last game played came on Sept. 2, 2019 against the Salt Lake Bees, resulting in a 7-1 victory. Reno is seeking its first win on Opening Day against Salt Lake, dropping contests in 2009 and 2011. Historically, the Aces hold a 7-4 record in the first game of the year and have won four of their last five season openers.

Corb-able Starters: Twenty-five-year-old Corbin Martin receives the starting nod on Thursday, becoming the 10th pitcher to start on Opening Day for Reno. He is also one of six Aces' starters to make his debut with Aces' on the first day of the season (Tony Barnette, Kevin Mulvey, Randell Delgado, Alex Sanabia and Vidal Nuno). The 2015 second-round draft pick was sent to Arizona from Houston in the blockbuster trade deadline deal that sent Zach Greinke to the Astros. In

his three years in the Minors, the Texas A&M product served up 11 victories with 2.58 ERA and 210 strikeouts in 192.0 innings of action. Martin, who is coming off Tommy John surgery and an oblique injury that sidelined him since August 2019, will also be making his first start with organi- zation. He is also the 10th-ranked prospect in the D-Backs system according to Baseball America.

New Skipper in Town: Blake Lalli was tabbed as the Aces' fifth manager in franchise history on Feb. 1, 2021. This came after former skipper Chris Cron was promoted to Field Coordinator on the Diamondbacks' staff. Lalli, 37, enters the season as the youngest coach in Aces' history and is the first former player to receive the managerial nod. As a catcher in his two seasons with the Aces, Lalli tallied 142 hits, 66 RBIs and caught 51 runners stealing in 174 games played. Prior to his role in Reno, the Pittsburgh, Pa., native served as the manager for both Single-A Kane County Cougars and Double-A Affiliate Jackson Generals for one season. In his lone slate with Mississippi, Lalli coached the Generals to a 78-57 record and its second Southern League National Championship in as many years. In just two career seasons as skipper, he boasts a 150-123 record and has men- tored top prospects such as Daulton Varsho, Jon Duplantier and Seth Beer.

Roster Breakdown: The Reno Aces will feature a new look in 2021. The outfield will be headlined by a pair of touted veterans, 2017 World Series Champion Josh Reddick and 2016 World Series runner-up Trayce Thompson. The duo has combined for over 1,450 games played in the MLB, spanning five teams. In their combined 12 years of Major League service, Reddick and Thompson have produced 613 RBIs and 1,228 hits, 166 of which were sent over the outfield wall. To go along with two experienced outfielders, 12 more members have seen action in the Show. Top pitching prospect Corbin Martin is slated to make his first appearance since being traded from Houston to Arizona in the 2019 blockbuster deal that sent Zach Greinke to the Astros.

Opening Buzz: It has been 613 days since these two teams have squared off, also being the last time either squad has seen action. In the final series of the 2019 season, the Aces and the Bees split four-game affair with Reno outscoring Salt Lake, 29-21. In the team's 13-9 win in the series opener, current Aces' reliever Justin Donatella allowed just one run on two hits in 3.1 innings out of the bullpen. After a seven-run fifth inning, Donatella was slated to pick up the win were it not for a three-run rally by the Bees in the ninth to push the game into extras. Reno would put up a five-spot in the top of the 10th to put the game away. Current Aces' outfielder Andy Young racked up five hits, four runs scored and four RBIs against the Bees to end the season. With the team's 7-1 victory over Salt Lake in the last game of the year, Reno moved to 10-1 in season finales.

Meet the Staff: Returning for his second season with Reno and 11th season with the Diamond- backs' organization will be pitching coach Jeff Bajenaru. The former World Series Champion with the Chicago White Sox had a six-year playing career, finishing with the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2006. He completed his Minor League career with a record of 20-18 and an ERA south of 3.00. Joining Lalli in Reno this season are two familiar faces from his Jackson staff in hitting coach Rick Short and extra coach Jorge Cortes. Short, a 12-year veteran of the D-Backs' franchise, served as the hitting coach on both of Lalli's squads since 2018 and led Jackson to a league-leading 128 home runs and third-best .713 OPS. Cortes, a lifetime .282 hitter during his career, will also enter his third season under Lalli.

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Pacific Coast League Stories from May 6, 2021


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