While the Diamondbacks were overwhelmed by the Giants at Chase Field, their Triple-A affiliate, the Reno Aces, suffered a similar fate in Game 1 of the Pacific Coast League Championship, falling to the Sugar Land Space Cowboys.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!The Space Cowboys jumped out to an early lead, scoring three runs in the second inning and adding another three in the third. These early runs came off Tommy Henry, who made seven starts for the Diamondbacks this season. Henry struggled with his command and was pulled after just 2.2 innings.
Konnor Pilkington briefly steadied the ship, delivering 2.1 shutout innings in relief, but things unraveled again in the sixth inning. Trailing 6-2, the Aces allowed six runs on just one hit, as Sugar Land capitalized on five free passes, including four consecutive walks to start the inning.
Reno’s offense was largely silent, managing just three hits in a lopsided 14-2 defeat. The lone highlight came from Adrian Del Castillo, who launched a two-run homer in the sixth inning, accounting for all of the Aces’ scoring. Last week, Castillo was named the Reno Aces Player of the Year.
Jordan Lawlar, the Diamondbacks’ #1 overall prospect, went 0-4 at the plate with two strikeouts. Blaze Alexander, who made Arizona’s Opening Day roster, went 0-2 with a K.
Facing elimination, the Aces will return to the field tomorrow at 5:05 PM. A win would force a decisive Game 3 on Thursday, giving Reno a shot at the championship.
