Aviators club 3 home runs in 10-4 win over Reno Aces

Sheldon Neuse clubbed a three-run homer to highlight a five-run fourth inning Tuesday night as the Las Vegas Aviators beat the in-state rival Reno Aces 10-4 in a Pacific Coast League game before 8,034 fans at Las Vegas Ballpark.

The victory was the fourth straight for the Aviators (75-52) and 10th in the past 14 games. Las Vegas caught the El Paso Chihuahuas for first place in the PCL’s Pacific Southern Division. The Chihuahuas lost 9-4 at home to the Fresno Grizzlies.

Neuse hit his 25th home run to center field after Nick Martini and Dustin Fowler opened the fourth with back-to-back singles. The Aviators plated two more runs in the inning for a 5-1 lead on Jonah Heim’s double to right and Dustin Garneau’s sacrifice fly.

Mark Payton had a two-run homer, his 27th, in the seventh inning, and Martini hit his sixth, a solo shot in the eighth.

Kyle Lobstein (6-2), on in relief of starter Jesus Luzardo, benefited from the Aviators’ big inning and picked up the win with 1⅓ innings of scoreless work.

Reliever Connor Grey (0-1) was saddled with the loss for the Aces (59-68) after surrendering seven hits and six runs in 1⅔ innings.

Brown, Fowler, Martini and Franklin Barreto each had two hits for the Aviators.

Andy Young and Domingo Leyba paced Reno with two hits each. Young hit his 17th home run, a two-run blast, in the eighth inning.