Baseball: Portland beats Aces in slugfest

RENO, Nev.- Doug Deeds led the Aces with his league-leading 23rd and 24th doubles of the season, but Reno fell 13-8 to the Portland Beavers in the series finale Tuesday afternoon at Aces Ballpark.

The 21-run, 35-hit slugfest came on an afternoon that saw two Major League rehabbers toe the slab for their respective teams. After Portland jumped ahead 4-0 against Aces starter Kris Benson, Reno responded by scoring seven runs over the next three innings to take a 7-4 lead. But Portland clawed back with a four-run sixth, and added five runs over the game's final two frames to salvage a series split with the Aces.

Benson allowed four runs in four innings before being lifted in favor of Jose Marte, who gave up four runs in 1.2 innings of relief. Jason Urquidez (2-2) was tagged with the loss in relief of Marte after Portland plated three runs in his two innings of work.

Adam Russell (2-2), the Beavers fourth pitcher of the afternoon, earned the win, holding the Aces to one run in two innings. Ernesto Frieri picked up his 12th save of the season, tossing the final two innings of scoreless ball.

Deeds picked up a triple to go along with his two doubles, while Yunesky Sanchez added three hits of his own. Jeff Bailey, Brandon Allen and Miguel Montero recorded multi-hit games for the Aces, who got outhit by Portland 20-15. Marte helped his own cause with a solo homer in the fifth inning-the first home run in his career and the first by an Aces pitcher in franchise history.

The Aces enjoy a day off Wednesday before returning to the diamond Thursday evening to begin a four-game set with Salt Lake. Reno will send RHP Matt Torra (3-3, 3.51 ERA) to the hill to oppose LHP Daniel Davidson (6-1, 4.89 ERA). Thursday's first pitch is set for 7:05 p.m., and is a Coors Light Thirsty Thursday™, with $2 Coors and Coors Lights available until the fifth inning.

Tickets for all Aces games start at just $7, and are available by calling the Reno Aces box office at (775) 334-7000 or by visiting RenoAces.com. The brand-new Freight House District, located just outside Aces Ballpark, is open seven days a week, on both game days and non-game days.