LAS VEGAS – Down to their final strike, Tim Tawa played the hero for Reno Aces and delivered a game-tying hit that forced extra innings, but Reno’s struggles in extra frames returned as the Las Vegas Aviators walked-off winners by a final of 11-10 on Friday.
In a game where Tawa had already homered in the second at-bat of the game, his second dinger in as many at-bats, he delivered in the clutch yet again as battled to his final strike before lining a single to left field that knotted the contest at 9-9 for the Aces (28-33).
Reno hurler Yilber Díaz (3-2) kept the Aviators (34-25) at arm’s length in the ninth, working around a one-out single. That allowed the Aces to take advantage of the free runner in the top of the 10th, as a leadoff Luis Urías double immediately drove the runner home.
That marked the fourth two-bagger of the game for Urías, making him one of just three Aces in franchise history to log four doubles in a game, joining the pair of Andrés Chaparro (2024) and Andy Weber (2025) as the only Aces to achieve the feat.
Unfortunately for Díaz, his luck ran out in the bottom of the 10th as despite quickly recording two outs and keeping the Aviators one out away from defeat, two walks loaded the bases along with the free runner while Joey Meneses drove in two with a double to left field. That handed Reno its fifth loss in extra innings this season, and their second consecutive one-run loss in the series to Las Vegas.
Jordan Lawlar, making his second rehab appearance, doubled to start the game and scored on Tawa’s 421-foot home run, the main highlight of a five-run first inning for Reno. The Aces kept the pressure on despite a pair of quick outs, with Andrew Velazquez singling home a run while both Anderdson Rojas and Jordan Lawlar earned RBI on walks.
The Aviators finally broke through in the bottom of the second when Brayan Buelvas doubled home a pair of runs, but it was a five-run third frame that gave Las Vegas its first lead of the contest. A throwing error, a double, and walk loaded the bases, leading to four consecutive run-scoring singles to plate all five Las Vegas runs in the frame.
Starting the comeback was Angel Ortiz, who helped the Aces cut into the deficit when he ripped a single to left field that scored Urías, the latter of which had originally reached with a two-bagger to center.
Max Muncy provided the Aviators what proved to be crucial insurance at the time, as his double plated two and pushed the score back out to 9-6. It proactively countered the pair of tallies by Reno in the top of the seventh, including a run in one of the most exciting fashions.
Sitting in an 0-1 count, Velazquez hit a flare that landed in shallow center and rolled past all outfielders, then quickly raced around the bases and crossed home plate for an inside-the-park home run.
Lawlar continued his hitting ways by ripping a triple to left field with two outs following the Velazquez inside-the-park dinger. Sitting just 90 feet from home, Lawlar was able to score easily and bring Reno within one when Yunior Tur had a wild pitch go to the backstop.
It was a mostly impressive performance by the bullpen apart from two names, one of those being A.J. Puk as he made his second rehab appearance with the Aces and allowed two runs on one hit with two walks and just one strikeout.
Urías’ four doubles led all Aces in hits, while Velazquez chipped in another three knocks and scored twice along with his inside-the-park home run. Three others had mutli-hit games including Lawlar, who doubled and tripled for his two hits while scoring twice with an RBI and walk.
Game five of this series gets underway on Saturday beginning at 7:05 p.m. PT.