RENO, NV (July 24, 2026) — The Tacoma Rainiers (11-14/44-56) lost 7-6 as the Reno Aces (14-11/46-54) walked it off at Greater Nevada Field on Friday. Michael Arroyo tied his career-high with two doubles in the contest while Lazaro Montes recorded his third multi-hit game of the series. The pair of Mariners’ prospects combined to finish 4-for-8 with three doubles, two RBI, a walk, and two runs scored.
Reno got the scoring started in the bottom of the second inning when LuJames Groover (5) hit a leadoff home run over the left field wall, making it 1-0.
Tacoma immediately evened the score in the top of the third inning. With two outs, Ryan Bliss ripped his 25th double of the season into the right-center field gap and came home to score when Rob Refsnyder punched a single through the right side of the infield, tying the game at one.
The Rainiers took their first lead of the night in the fourth inning. Patrick Wisdom lined a leadoff single into left field. Then, Lazaro Montes roped a double into left field and Wisdom scored when the ball rolled under the glove of Manuel Pena, giving Tacoma a 2-1 lead.
The Aces tied it up in the home half of the fourth inning when Groover (6) launched his second leadoff home run into the bullpens in right field, evening the score at two.
Tacoma plated four runs to regain the lead in the top of the fifth inning. Miles Mastrobuoni pulled a leadoff single into right field and stole second base to get into scoring position after Bliss struck out. Then, Refsnyder worked a walk to put runners on first and second. Michael Arroyo drove a double off the top of the left field wall, pushing Refsnyder up to third and scoring Mastrobuoni, giving the Rainiers a 3-2 lead. The next batter, Wisdom, brought home Refsnyder with a sacrifice fly to center field, doubling the lead. Montes kept the scoring going by driving a single into center field, plating Arroyo from second and making it 5-2. Then, Jhonny Pereda smoked a single of his own into left center field, allowing Montes to score without a throw, making it 6-2.
Reno cut the Tacoma lead in half in the bottom of the fifth inning. With one out, Kristian Robinson roped a single into shallow center field and Anderdson Rojas (4) deposited a two-run shot over the right field wall to make it 6-4 heading into the final four frames of the game.
Entering the ninth inning needing two runs to stay alive, the Aces would get within one when A.J Vukovich (6) hit a one-out solo shot over the tall wall in left field, making it 6-5. Representing the tying run, Danny Serretti worked a walk and then, Gavin Conticello (2) came in to pinch hit and launched a walk-off two run homer over the right-center field wall as the Rainiers fell 7-6 in game four of the six-game set.
The Rainiers will attempt to regain the series lead Saturday night as RHP Nick Hull will take the ball for Tacoma. First pitch is scheduled for 6:35 PM.
POSTGAME NOTES:
- OF Lazaro Montes recorded his third multi-hit game of the series Friday, finishing 2-for-3 with a double, RBI, walk, and run scored…he’s now recorded a hit in six of his last seven games, batting .370 (10x27) in that span…since July 17, Montes leads the PCL with five doubles and his six extra-base hits are tied for the most with Reno’s Jose Fernandez.
- INF Ryan Bliss turned in his team-leading 24th multi hit game Friday night, finishing 2-for-5 with double, walk, and run scored…Bliss also extended his on-base streak to 15 games, his longest of the season and the longest since he reached safely in 15 consecutive contests from August 29-September 14, 2023…since July 1, Bliss’s 26 hits leads the PCL while his eight doubles are tied for the most in the league.
- INF/OF Michael Arroyo hit two doubles on Friday, tying his career-high…he finished 2-for-5 with two doubles, an RBI, and a run scored…it marks Arroyo’s fifth career game with two doubles and his first since June 14, 2024, with High-A Everett …since his promotion to Triple-A on July 7, his 21 hits are tied for the second-most in the PCL while his six doubles are tied for the third-most and 14 RBI rank fourth.
- RHP Domingo González tossed 1.1 scoreless innings Friday night, allowing one hit while striking out three of the five batters he faced…his 1.96 (8 ER/36.2 IP) ERA ranks second-best in the PCL this season (min. 25 G) and is the seventh-best in Triple-A.