ALBUQUERQUE – A brief four-game trip to Albuquerque got off on the wrong foot for the Reno Aces in a 16-5 blowout loss to the Isotopes Tuesday night at Isotopes Park.
Over the previous 11 games, Aces starters threw a combined 69 innings and had a 1.43 ERA, allowing just 11 earned runs during the stretch. Right-hander Caleb Clay couldn’t find that success in the series opener.
Seeking their fifth straight win, the Aces (37-42) grabbed a quick 2-0 lead in the top of the first on a two-run double by Jamie Romak. The Isotopes (34-45) responded with two runs in the bottom half on a two-run two-bagger by Matt McBride.
The Isotopes added another two-run double by Cristhian Adames in the second to go up 4-2, and the scoring for the home team was only getting started.
Albuquerque doubled their offensive output in the first and second innings by scoring four more off of Clay (4-6) in the third on five hits, including a pair of RBI doubles from Angelys Nina and Adames.
Trailing 8-2 through three innings, Evan Marshall entered in the fourth and worked a scoreless frame. The righty failed to record an out against the six batters he faced in the fifth, however, and Matt Reynolds didn’t fare much better. Albuquerque’s McBride greeted Reynolds with a three-run shot to left and after a walk to Kyle Parker, Nina lined his third double of the game – and second of the inning – to make it 16-2.
Todd Glaesmann hit a solo shot in the seventh, and the Aces tallied two additional runs in the ninth to round out the scoring.
Catcher Blake Lalli entered in relief for the eighth and faced the minimum. He allowed a single before inducing a ground-ball double play. Isotopes starter Aaron Laffey (2-2) got the win with five innings of two-run ball.
The Aces’ staff yielded a season high 21 hits and seven doubles in the defeat.
The Aces play game two of their four-game series at Albuquerque tonight. Right-hander Jhoulys Chacin (1-1, 1.76) starts for Reno against right-hander Jair Jurrgens (1-1, 3.81) for Albuquerque. First pitch is scheduled for 6:05 at Isotopes Park.