HOW IT HAPPENED:
Round Rock loaded the bases with a single and a pair of walks in the second. DH Julian Brock drove two runs in with a double to right-center for a 2-0 lead.
1B Pavin Smith gave the Aces a 3-2 edge with his three-run homer in the top of the fourth. DH Danny Serretti added a solo homer in the fifth, extending the Reno advantage to two.
The Express took a 5-4 lead in the bottom of the seventh. SS Keyber Rodriguez led off the inning with a solo home run. Brock drew a walk and CF Jarred Kelenic sent him around on his triple to left, tying the game at four. LF Cody Freeman recorded a sacrifice fly on the next pitch, giving the Express a one-run edge.
RHP Wilian Bormie ensured the win with a scoreless ninth inning as the E-Train took Friday night’s contest, 5-4.
E-TRAIN EXCERPTS:
WHERE WE STAND: The Express recorded their 1st come-from-behind victory since 7/1…have guaranteed at least a share of the 6-game series with a 3-1 lead through the 1st 4 games of the homestand against the Aces…have won 8 of their 13 home games since the 2nd half began on 6/22…are solely in 3rd place in the Pacific Coast League standings…have won 4 of their last 5, 7 of their last 10, 10 of their last 15 and 11 of their last 20 games.
RHP JOSH STEPHAN: (ND, 5.0 IP, 6 H, 4 R-ER, 3 BB, 3 SO, 2 HR, 81 pitches, 56 strikes) made his 21st appearance of the season and his 20th start as a member of the Express… is 1 of 11 E-Train pitchers since the start of the 2021 season to make 20 career starts… retired the side in the 1st… after giving up back-to-back hits to start the 2nd, induced two pop-ups and a groundball to escape the inning unscathed… all of his runs allowed to RNO have come from the long ball… escaped a bases-loaded jam in the 4th with an inning-ending double play… recorded 12 1st pitch strikes on the night…previously appeared against RNO on 7/8 in a 14-13 loss out of the bullpen, tossed 4.0 innings and allowed 1 R on a home run by DH Adrian Del Castillo.
OF TREVOR HAUVER: capped off his hot month of July by reaching base three times on Friday night… the outfielder has produced a season-high batting average on the month, hitting .312 (24-for-77) with 5 2B and 14 RBI.
C JULIAN BROCK: made his 1st appearance as the designated hitter for the Express on Friday night… extended his on-base streak to 5 G and has an RBI through his last 3 G… after going hitless in his Express debut on 7/19 vs LV, the catcher also has a hit in his last 4 G… his two-run RBI double in the 2nd marks his 1st multi-RBI game as a member of the E-Train and his 10th of the season (9 with Double-A Frisco)… is slashing .438/.550/.750/1.300 with 3 2B, 4 RBI and 3 BB through his first 5 G in Round Rock…his 94.9 mph average exit velocity ranks 2nd among the 242 PCL batters with at least 20 plate appearances this season.
RHP CHRIS MARTIN: (1.0 IP, H, 0 R, 2 SO, 12 pitches, 9 strikes) recorded his 5th rehab appearance with the Express… 2 SO on the outing is his highest tally with the E-Train… also registered 2 SO on 4/11 with TEX and 7/1 with Double-A Frisco… has not walked a batter over his 8 games with the Express… longest active streak by a Round Rock pitcher this year… fastball topped out at 95.6 mph.
JULY: The Express finished the month of July with a 13-11 record, tying their season-high in wins (13-12 in June)…their 2.49 K/BB ratio is also their best in a calendar month since March when they registered a 2.09 K/BB ratio through 4 G… the ratio was the 3rd best among PCL clubs behind SUG and SAC… the E-Train also finished with a season-high .284 batting average which ranks 5th among league teams in July.
SS KEYBER RODRIGUEZ: launched his 8th homer of the season with a solo shot to start the 7th inning… 4th homer this month and just his 2nd at Dell Diamond… his round-tripper snaps a season-high 6 G homerless streak at Dell Diamond for the Express… before Rodriguez’s homer, the last time the Express hit a home run at Dell Diamond was on 7/5 in the series finale vs ABQ… Round Rock’s longest span at home last season was 3 G, which occurred three different times that year.
NEXT GAME: Saturday, August 1 vs Reno FIRST PITCH: 7:05 p.m. CT BALLPARK: Dell Diamond
For more information about the Express, visit RRExpress.com or call (512) 255-2255. Subscribe to the E-Train email newsletter and keep up with the Express on Facebook, Instagram and X!