Still no relief for the Silver Sox

RENO - The Yuma Scorpions are on a tear and continued their winning ways against the Reno Silver Sox Wednesday at Peccole Park.

The Scorpions improved to 7-0 in the second half of the Golden Baseball League season, and took their 11th victory in their last 12 games, pounding out 16 hits on the way to a resounding 10-3 victory over Reno in front of an announced crowd of 1,164 fans.

Yuma did its damage with a four-run third inning off starter Nick Moran (2-2) and a six-run eighth inning off reliever Josh Evans.

The Scorpions also got an impressive performance from its starter, Roger Luque (5-2), who entered the game with a 1.85 earned run average. Luque went eight innings, allowing seven hits and two earned runs. He also struck out five and walked two.

Relievers Marco Solis (who had only eight pitches) and Aaron Wilson split the ninth inning, allowing a combined one run and two walks.

"Right now, we have only one reliever we can count on," Reno manager Les Lancaster said, alluding to 6-foot-8 closer and new acquisition Eric Thomas. "There has to be a full change in the bullpen. We're going to get some guys in here (today). Everybody else is struggling. They're either not throwing strikes or are throwing them down the middle. We can't have that in a close baseball game."

Lancaster didn't say who would be leaving Reno or announce the names of the players who will join the team, which is now 3-4 in the second half, four games behind Yuma. With the loss, the Silver Sox are now 21-23 overall.

One team's misery is another team's glee and Yuma manager Mike Marshall said he's been happy with his club's winning streak.

"Our guys are playing really well," Marshall said. "It's easy to coach and manage when they're hitting their stride. It's fun to watch."

Marshall said the Scorpions will keep a watchful eye on their play, as they've been down this road earlier in the season.

"We did the same thing in the first half," he said. "We went 12-2 and went on a long road trip and fell out of it and lost seven in a row (Chico was the first-half champion). This is our longest trip in the second half. Hopefully, we'll be more consistent in the second half. It's really important to get off to a good start."

Luque and Moran each faced the minimum six batters over the first two innings before the Scorpions stung the Sox with four in the third.

Yuma shortstop Jordan Prado drilled a solo homer to left to open the scoring and third baseman Henry Calderon (3-for-5, 3 RBI) added his own round-tripper - a three-run blast to left, which scored Mike Goss and Yosvany Almario, each of whom singled.

Every Yuma starter - and pinch hitter Alex LaChappal - had at least one hit against Reno.

Silver Sox first baseman and hitting coach Mike Done (1-for-4) tried to get his team going in the fifth inning, hitting a solo homer to left. It was Done's fifth home run of the season and he has now hit a homer in each of his last four games.

Former Nevada Wolf Pack star Bub Madrid cut the lead to 4-2 with an RBI single in the sixth, but from there it was all Luque and his offense.

""Every time he (Luque) goes out there, he gives us a chance to win," Marshall said of his 6-foot-1 left hander. "His two losses were as good as tonight. He could've won every time out. He had another good effort tonight."

Yuma lowered the boom on Reno in the eighth, sending 10 batters to the plate. First baseman A.J. Valentine hit a solo shot to right and Pascual Matos (4-for-5) added a two- run double to right center to make it 7-2.

Hector Bernal, Goss (2-for-3) and Calderon each added RBI doubles to make it 10-2.

Reno got one run off Sam Walker fielder's choice in the ninth to close the scoring.

"We're still in it - we're not out of it," Lancaster said. "It's still anybody's game. We're going to make some changes and make them quick and we'll be better off."

Reno will try and slow down the Scorpions tonight when it caps off the three-game series at 7 p.m. The Sox will start pitching coach and Carson High graduate Dustin Bergman (2-3, 3.24 ERA). The Scorpions will counter with right hander Evan White (4-0, 2.95).

Notes: Reno right fielder Juan Senreiso has now hit safely in his last 10 games. He went 1-for-4 Wednesday, with a double in his last at-bat...2002 Galena High School graduate Chuck Sindlinger saw his first action for the Sox in two weeks following a sprained ankle. He went 1-for-4 as a designated hitter in the No. 9 spot.