Aces score early, then fend off Beavers' late rally

RENO - The offense that has the led the Reno Aces to the top in the Pacific Coast League had faltered as of late, but an early pitching change sparked some life into the once listless bats.

The Aces poured in 10 runs early in Thursday's game against the Portland Beavers, but they would need all of those runs to fend off a late rally before putting the game away for good in the seventh on the way to a 13-9 victory in front of 6,969 fans at Aces Ballpark.

"I'm exhausted," Aces manager Brett Butler said. "It had to be a great game to watch, no doubt about that for everybody."

With the win, the Aces grabbed the series win (3-1) and will travel to Fresno for a quick four-game road trip. They lead the league in runs scored with 546.

Aces right fielder Brandon Watson notched the franchise's first cycle and scored a much needed run late in the game to give the Aces a cushion. Watson was hardly a candidate to become the team's first player to hit for the cycle. While he has always showed enough speed and ability to hit into the gaps, it was the biggest leg of the feat that seemed unlikely. Coming into the game, he had only hit two home runs this season and the last came on July 4.

The other caveat for Watson was that it came from the leadoff spot, a slot that he batted from early in the season but has since been reserved for Trent Oeltjen, who had the day off.

"I like to hit at the top of the lineup so I can try and start some stuff, get some stuff going a little bit," said Watson, who went 5 for 6 with three RBIs. "Tonight, Oeltjen had the night off and I tried to make the best of it."

The Beavers had to go the majority of the game without starting pitcher Cha Seung Baek, who was on assignment from the San Diego Padres. Baek lasted just nine pitches before a lingering strained forearm acted up again. His replacement, John Hudgins, gave up a quick two-run homer to the second batter of the game, Ruben Gotay, and another six runs in the second inning. The loss, though, was pinned on Seung Baek (0-2) despite only giving up a lead-off single to Brandon Watson.

The offensive outburst, both early and late, helped Aces pitcher Seth Etherton (8-6) earn a win after he failed to do so in his last outing. He picked up a loss after giving up just three runs in a 5-2 loss to Sacramento on July 18.

Etherton has won four of his last six starts, he had a no decision on June 29, after starting the year 3-5. He has also lowered his earned run average from a paltry 6.11 on June 1 to 4.42 coming into Thursday's game.

He didn't give up the first run of the night until the fourth inning with the game seemingly in hand. He was pulled in the sixth inning after the Beavers put together four singles and cut the lead to 10-5. He gave up 11 hits, struck out six and was pinned for seven earned runs.

"He labored," said Butler. "In the fifth and sixth, I didn't know what was going on if it was the (Beavers') being sick, but it just kind of hit him like a ton of bricks. But those were his runs and he's the consummate professional and I'm going to give him a chance to get out of it."

Jose Marte came in to try and preserve the win for Etherton, and barely hung on as he walked the first batter he faced and gave up back-to-back two-RBI doubles to Valentino Pascucci and Danny Putnam to cut the lead to 10-9.

The offense, though, grabbed control of the game in seventh inning for good. Watson needed just a double to complete the cycle entering the inning and did just that as he blasted a fly ball to centerfield to lead off. Gotay then laid down a bunt single up the third baseline and Peter Ciofrone threw the ball wide of first to bring Watson in and give the Aces an 11-9 cushion.

They added two more runs in the inning and Scott Dohman earned the hold. He was signed to minor league contract Monday.

Watson's cycle was partially out of luck, although it didn't seem like it at the time. He hit a fly ball in the second inning to the deepest part of the park, 424 feet in centerfield, and clearly had a triple. The relay throw, however, was bobbled and he came home. It took the better part of the next half inning to officially determine if it was a triple with an error or an inside the park home run.

"It's definitely something I'll remember," Watson said. "I've never hit for one, I've come close a couple times, but nothing really like that. It was great.

"After the third inning, Birdie (Aces hitting coach Mike Parrot) came up to me and said, 'OK, all you need is a double now.' I was like, 'No, pressure for the rest of the game ...' I told him I would do my best."

Notes: Tennis great Jimmy Connors threw out the first pitch, a high slow ball to manager Brett Butler...Governor Jim Gibbons was in attendance. He was a guest in the owner's suite...Brandon Watson added a single in the eighth inning for his fifth hit of the night, the first time since Sept. 6, 2004 while with the now-defunct Toronto Blue Jays' Triple-A team the Edmonton Trappers.