51s break out the bats, top Reno in series finale
In two starts against Las Vegas earlier this season, Reno starter Anthony Vasquez had given up a total of three runs on nine hits in 12 innings pitched.
Sunday, it was a completely different story as the 51s pounded the starter on their way to a 15-6 win over Reno in the series finale at Greater Nevada Field.
Las Vegas (48-53) ambushed him early, scoring four runs in the first inning on RBI hits from Patrick Kivlehan, Zach Borenstein (double) and Dominic Smith (double).
After three scoreless innings, the 51s were at it again, scoring six more runs off the Reno (50-51) starter in the fifth inning.
A Kivlehan triple plated Jeff McNeil before Phillip Evans broke the game wide open with a grand slam. Colton Plaia followed that with a home run of his own.
That inning marked the end of Vasquez’s day.
“He just couldn’t get his offspeed over and the guys were sitting pretty good for his fastball. They didn’t miss today,” manager Tony DeFrancesco said. “Evans had the grand slam. (Peter) Alonso, Borenstein, Plaia, it was good to see these guys go up there and take aggressive swings off him.”
Las Vegas tacked on three more runs in the sixth inning and another pair in the eighth.
Borenstein led the team with three hits, including a home run. He drove in four runs, as did Evans.
“I was really impressed the way the guys came out and swung the bats today,” DeFrancescos said. “Borenstein is really hitting the ball hard, starting to drive the ball consistently.”
Alonso also homered in the win with a three-run blast in the sixth inning.
Each starter had a hit for the 51s except for pitcher Cody Martin.
Martin, who was starting in place of Corey Oswalt, got in trouble in the bottom of the first inning, giving up a pair of runs before settling down.
“Cody early, we score four in the first inning and then they wind up coming back with two,” DeFrancesco said. “We walk the first guy on four pitches and then gave up a couple runs but after that settled down, he got his breaking ball over, better command of his fastball.”
He wound up throwing a quality start, going six innings and giving up three runs on five hits while striking out four.
Ian Krol gave up three runs in his 1⅔ innings pitched and the 51s got their first look at Bobby Wahl, acquired this weekend in the Jeurys Familia deal with Oakland.
Wahl capped the game with 1⅓ scoreless frames, striking out three.
“Real power arm, throwing in the upper 90s, 97, 98 with a good breaking ball,” DeFrancesco said. “I think he’s going to be really good piece for the Mets. Once he commands all his pitches, I think he’s going to be a backend of the bullpen guy.”
With the win, the 51s capped their seven-game road trip with a 3-4 record, playing better after dropping the first three games to Salt Lake. They will have a day off Monday before returning to Cashman Field.
“It was good to win the series, two games out of three,” DeFrancesco said.
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Contact Betsy Helfand at bhelfand@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BetsyHelfand on Twitter.
