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Sky Sox Rally Falls Short in 10-9 Loss to Aces

August 2, 2018 - Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Colorado Springs Sky Sox News Release


RENO, Nev. - The Sky Sox rallied with five runs in the eighth inning sparked by Jett Bandy's seventh home run in grand slam fashion to put the Colorado Springs squad within a run, but came up short, falling to the Reno Aces 10-9 in game one of the series at Greater Nevada Field.

After the Sky Sox started things off to take a 2-0 lead with solo runs in the top half of the first and third innings, the Aces broke out in the bottom of the third with six runs after sending 10 batters to the plate to put them in front 6-2.

After Colorado Springs battled back in the top of fourth with a pair of runs sparked by solo home runs courtesy of Christian Bethancourt (18) and Rymer Liriano (19), Reno pounded out five more hits to tack on four more runs and extend their lead to 10-4.

In the eighth and down six runs, the visiting Sky Sox found life and came within a run. Dylan Moore hit a leadoff single while Tyrone Taylor doubled and Domingo Santana walked to load the bases with one out. That is when Bandy slugged a 1-1 pitch deep to centerfield and over the wall for his seventh home run and first grand slam of the season to make it a 10-9 contest.

In the top of the ninth, Quintin Berry and Moore started the inning with consecutive singles to put the tying run on second base, but the heart of the lineup, Nate Orf, Taylor, and Santana, couldn't get the job done against Aces Jake Barrett.

The Sky Sox continue into game two against the Reno Aces tomorrow with a 7:05 p.m. scheduled first pitch. Following the three-game series in the Biggest Little City, they will continue on to Tacoma for four games.

For all information on Sky Sox, follow along on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, and visit the team's website at www.skysox.com.

NOTES

Wednesday's Preview: The Sky Sox enter into the second of the three-game set with the Reno Aces at Greater Nevada Field and first game of the seven-game road trip with an 8:05 p.m. MST first pitch. The Sky Sox are sending righty Alec Asher to the mound to face off against righty Taylor Clarke.

Grand Salami: The eighth-inning grand slam Wednesday by Jett Bandy marks the third of the season for the Sky Sox and first on the road for the team in 2018. It also marks the second grand slam in four games, since Andres Blanco hit one Sunday against Albuquerque at Security Service Field. Kyle Wren marked the first one for the Sky Sox on June 2 against Iowa.

Bash Bros: On Wednesday night, Christian Bethancourt and Rymer Liriano knocked their 18th and 19th home runs respectively. Their home run counts this season lead the way among all players on the Colorado Springs squad.

Orf Continues the Climb: After the two-hit night by Nate Orf, he has moved up the Sky Sox career milestone charts in multiple categories: 1,042 AB, passing Choo Freeman for 16th place on career AB list, 319 hits, passing Jim Tatum for 15th place on career hits list, 215 singles, tying Orf for 13th all-time in singles with Chris Frey, 70 doubles, tying Orf for 12th all-time in doubles with Matt McBride, 104 extra base hits, tying Matt Miller and Jayhawk Owens for 19th place all-time in extra base hits, 474 total bases, passing Ben Paulsen for 18th place in total bases, 143 career RBI, just two RBI away from joining the Top 25 (Choo Freeman, Webster Garrison, and Kyle Wren all tied at 145 RBI).

Trailing: The Sky Sox just missed on improving two season records. When trailing after seven innings, the Sky Sox are now 3-36 while falling to a 0-39 split when trailing after eight innings. The Sky Sox got within a run of the Aces Wednesday night in the seventh with a five-run frame and stranded the potential tying and go-ahead runs on base in the ninth.

Big RBI Night: Jett Bandy tied for a season-high in RBI in a game Wednesday night at Greater Nevada Field with four. The first time he met the feat was on July 24 against El Paso at Security Service Field.

Davies Rehab: Right-handed pitched and Brewers rehabber Zach Davies made his third rehab stint for the Sky Sox Wednesday night, tossing two and two-thirds innings and allowing five runs on just four hits with three walks and three strikeouts. Overall, after three rehab starts with Colorado Springs, he has totaled 8.2 IP, 10 H, 7 ER, 5 BB, 9 K and is 0-2.

Lead Change: Coming into the night, the Sky Sox held a 46-9 record when leading in a game after six innings. Monday night marked the 10th loss for Colorado Springs when leading after six and giving up the lead.

The Hunt For First: The Sky Sox are on the hunt for the second-consecutive playoff run, battling it out with other top contender of the American North - the Oklahoma City Dodgers. Last season, the Sky Sox broke one of the longest postseason droughts in professional sports - taking the American North division for the first time and breaking their 20-year absence. After Wednesday night, the Sky Sox find themselves two games back in the standings.

Sweet Tally: Manager Rick Sweet is six regular season wins away to pass Brad Mills for the regular season wins as Sky Sox manager and nine wins away to pass him in overall wins with the Sky Sox.

Villar's Rehab: Brewers rehabbing second baseman Jonathan Villar, began his rehab stint with the Sky Sox on Saturday. Villar finished going 2-for-3 with a run before being replaced by Andres Blanco when the game resumed Saturday after the rain delay. On Sunday, Villar went 2-for-3 with two runs, an RBI and a walk. On Monday night, he finished going 2-for-4 with a run.

Delayed: In game 105 of the 2018 season, the Sky Sox met with their longest game delay at home which was two hours and 20 minutes long due to a storm passing over Security Service Field. Last night, in game 104, the Sky Sox set a previous high of two hours and 10 minutes also due to a passing storm.

Blanco From Both Sides: Andres Blanco finished going 2-for-4 with four RBI on Sunday afternoon. From the left side of the plate, he knocked a grand slam in the first inning. From the right side, he knocked a sixth-inning double off the centerfield wall.

Two Starts Cut Short: On Sunday afternoon, Brandon Woodruff's start was stopped after one inning, one-hit, two-strikeout inning due to a passing storm. Last night, starter Adrian Houser tossed five shutout innings while allowing just three hits with four strikeouts, but was cut short as rain piled onto the field during the bottom of the fifth inning.

First Sky Sox Hall-of-Famer: MLB slugger and former Colorado Springs Sky Sox third baseman, Jim Thome, was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame yesterday, marking the first ever Sky Sox player to be featured in the Hall. The induction comes in his first year of eligibility alongside other inductees Chipper Jones, Vladimir Guerrero and Trevor Hoffman. Thome played in parts of two seasons with the Sky Sox in 1991 and 1992 when the team was affiliated with the Indians, compiling a .291 batting average in 53 regular season games. He played in all eight postseason games during the 1992 Pacific Coast League playoffs where the Sky Sox would overcome a 2-1 series deficit to Las Vegas in a best-of-five set before sweeping Vancouver 3-0 in the Championship series for their first PCL title.

Mr. and Mr. Clutch: Christian Bethancourt and Rymer Liriano proved to be the heroes of Saturday night after coming up in the bottom of the eighth inning with back-to-back home runs to break the 3-3 tie and seal the 5-3 victory in game two over the Isotopes. Bethancourt totaled his 16th of the season while Liriano marked his 18th of 2018 and second with the Sky Sox in as many nights.

Back-to-Back Tally: The late back-to-back homers by Christian Bethancourt and Rymer Liriano marked the sixth time a pair of Sky Sox have met the feat this season. It is Bethancourt's second time being a part of a back-to-back pair in 2018. The first time came on July 1 at Round Rock with Jacob Nottingham.

No Extras: Five arms through Sky Sox pitching did not give up an extra-base hit Saturday night. Albuquerque tallied three runs on nine singles throughout the rainy affair.

Five-Hit, Again: The Sky Sox were five-hit for a second time this week, once by El Paso, and the other in game one against the Isotopes, with both games adding the fifth hit in the bottom of the ninth. Before the homestand, Colorado Springs was four-hit consecutive times on the road in Memphis.

Liriano's Launch: After launching 16 home runs with Salt Lake over 65 games this season, Rymer Liriano, who was acquired by the Brewers on July 20 as a free agent, launched his first home run with the Sky Sox in big-time fashion - sending it over the mountain-scape above the videoboard in left-center field. His home run broke the Isotopes six-inning shutout and marked the 57th solo home run of the year for Colorado Springs this season.

Game One Record: The Sky Sox now hold an 18-9 record in game one's in a series. Despite the loss, the Sky Sox still hold the best winning percentage in the first game of a series with a .667 percentage.

20 Hits: The Sky Sox tied for most hits in a game this season with 20 against El Paso on Tuesday. The Sky Sox set the milestone of 20 on April 30 against Nashville at home. With two outs in the bottom of the eighth, Orlando Arcia just missed marking the 21st of the night with a long drive to the right field wall, which was caught on a stretched leap by El Paso's Forrestt Allday.

This Week's Preview: The Sky Sox are in the midst of a seven-game road trip, with a three-game set in Reno against the Aces, followed by a four-game series in Tacoma versus the Rainiers, with off days bookending the road trip.

NEXT GAME: Thursday, August 2 at 8:05 p.m. MT vs. Reno Aces @ Greater Nevada Field

RHP Alec Asher (5-2, 4.87) vs. RHP Taylor Clarke (9-7, 4.49) - Broadcast on XTRA Sports 1300

NEXT HOME GAME: Thursday, August 9 vs. Nashville Sounds - 6:40 p.m. first pitch

COS TOP PERFORMERS

- Jett Bandy (1-for-4, R, HR, 4 RBI)

- Nate Orf (2-for-5, 2B, 2 RBI)

- Christian Bethancourt (3-for-4, HR, 2R, RBI)

RENO TOP PERFORMERS

- Juniel Querecuto (1-for-4, 2B, R, 3 RBI)

- Christian Walker (2-for-3, 2B, 2 R, 2 RBI)

- Kristopher Negron (2-for-4, R, RBI)

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