The Reno Aces could not overcome an early deficit against the Tacoma Rainiers, Triple-A affiliate of the Seattle Mariners in Sunday’s series finale. The loss is the Aces’ fourth straight and results in a series loss to close out their road trip.
After the Rainiers put up a four-spot in the first inning on a grand slam, Ivan Melendez had an immediate response launching a no-doubter to left field. The solo shot marked the first run of the afternoon for the BLC-Nine, and his second since joining the Aces at the beginning of the month.
The only other Reno run came in the top of the seventh on an RBI single from Sergio Alcantara. The switch-hitting shortstop finished the game 2-for-3 with the RBI. In 14 games since making his return to Reno, he is slashing .375/.500/.583 with at least one hit in all but three contests.
A.J. Vukovich stayed hot going 2-for-4 with a pair of singles in the series finale. He now has six multi-hit efforts in his last nine games. Since July 6, the 24-year-old owns a a .359 batting average with a 1.090 OPS.
The Aces return to Greater Nevada Field next week hosting the El Paso Chihuahuas, Triple-A affiliate of the San Diego Padres, for a six-game series in downtown Reno.
The Reno Aces contributed to this report.
