RENO, Nev.— Reno took a slim lead in the eighth inning Tuesday night, but Fresno's Brett Pill tied the game with a home run in the bottom of the eighth and won it with a walk-off homer in the 12th to lift the Grizzlies to a 4-3 victory over the Aces at Chukchansi Park.
The loss for Reno—coupled with a win by second-place Colorado Springs—trims the Aces' division lead to three with six games remaining in the regular season. Reno's magic number remains at three.
Saddled with a 2-1 deficit through seven innings Tuesday, Josh Bell singled home a run to tie the score in the eighth, then two batters later Taylor Harbin gave the Aces their first lead of the night with a two-out run-scoring double.
That 3-2 lead wouldn't last, though. Pill homered off Jensen Lewis in the eighth to tie the score at 3-3. Then in the bottom of the 12th, he homered again—this time a solo walk-off blast off Aces reliever Bryan Henry (2-1)—ending the proceedings.
Aces starter Trevor Bauer took a no decision, despite scattering two runs on five hits over 6.0 innings. Five Reno relievers combined to hold the Grizzlies to just two runs over the game's final 5.2 frames.
Wilmin Rodriguez (5-5) earned the win out of the Fresno bullpen, tossing a scoreless 12th inning. Starter Boof Bonser scattered a run over 6.0 innings.
At the dish for Reno, A.J. Pollock led the way with three hits, a run scored, an RBI and a stolen base.
Reno Aces Press Release
8/28/2012
