RENO – An early lead didn’t stick for the Reno Aces in 10-4 loss to the Tacoma Rainiers Monday night at Aces Ballpark.
Nick Buss helped Reno to a 1-0 lead when he tripled to left-center to start the bottom of the first. Buss crossed home plate on a RBI groundout by Jordan Pacheco.
After Tacoma tied the game at 1-1 in the top of the second, the Aces wasted little time regaining control. Another lead-off triple sparked a rally – this one by third baseman Jamie Romak. Romak scored on a sacrifice fly by Cody Ransom to make it 2-1, and Todd Glaesmann followed with a booming home run to build the lead to 3-1 after two innings.
That’s when things went south for the Aces as the Rainiers scored runs in the next four innings to take the lead.
Franklin Gutierrez, Chris Taylor, Leon Landry and Stefen Romero picked up RBIs for Tacoma in the middle innings. Landry’s two-run single in the fifth, coupled with Romero’s two-run double in the sixth, bumped the Rainiers’ lead to 7-4 after six innings.]Reno committed an error in the sixth, seventh and eighth innings as Tacoma extended the lead to 10-4 with a three-run eighth inning.
Romak finished a home run shy of the cycle and ended the night 3-for-4. He tripled and scored a run in the second, doubled and scored a run in the fourth, and singled but was stranded in the sixth.
Tyler Olson got the win for the Rainiers with four shutout innings in relief. He allowed just three hits, did not walk a batter, and racked up five strikeouts in the four frames.
Game two of the three-game series is scheduled for Tuesday afternoon. Right-hander Parker Frazier (1-0, 3.75) starts for the Aces against right-hander Stephen Landazuri (0-3, 7.96) for the Rainiers. First pitch is set for 1:05 p.m.