TACOMA, Wash. – For a second straight game the Reno Aces launched two homers, but those dingers failed to bail Reno out of an early deficit as the Tacoma Rainiers grabbed game three of their set by a 6-3 final.
The Aces (21-21/53-64) had to battle out of an early deficit as the Rainiers (18-24/51-66) scored four times in the second inning, a frame highlighted by a pair of homers from Nick Raposo and Patrick Wisdom.
Reno hit the scoreboard for the first time in the fourth when they joined the home run party as Jose Fernandez capitalized on a two-out single from LuJames Groover by launching his seventh homer of the Triple-A campaign.
Dingers continued as the two teams traded solo shots starting with Lazaro Montes’ ninth homer of the year, but Gavin Conticello hammered the first pitch he saw with two outs in the top of the fifth for his sixth of the season.
A walk and double for the Rainiers to start the home half of the seventh led to the first run of the game not scoring via a home run, as Connor Joe crossed home after starting on first thanks to Stuart Fairchild.
Reno had its final chances with runners in scoring position in the seventh and eighth, but the ninth went with little resistance, pushing the game to its 6-3 final.
Starter Kohl Drake was (3-6) was chased after just 1.2 innings of work, allowing four runs on six hits with four walks and just one strikeout.
Justin Martinez made his second rehab appearance with the Aces and logged a clean frame, striking out one of the three batters he faced.
The Aces had just the three hits in the contest, though they did also work five walks. Groover and Danny Serretti each earned a pair of free passes while Demetrio Crisantes walked once.
Reno will have the chance to pull level in the series in game four of the set on Friday at 7:05 p.m. PT.