The Aviators returned to the win column Wednesday night, edging Reno 6-5 at Greater Nevada Field to improve to 20-19 and move back into second place in the PCL West.
Las Vegas collected 13 hits, built a three-run cushion midway through the game and then leaned on its bullpen to secure the final six outs.
Perez powers the offense
Junior Perez led the charge, going 3-for-5 with three RBIs, including a go-ahead two-run homer in the sixth inning.
After Jared Dickey opened the frame with a double, Perez drove a 98.3 mph fastball 379 feet to right field to give Las Vegas a 5-3 advantage. The blast, his fifth of the season, swung the momentum and proved decisive.
Earlier, Perez delivered a two-out RBI single in the fourth to tie the game at 2-2. He now has 19 RBIs on the year.
Joshua stays scorching
Joshua Kuroda-Grauer continued his electric start in Triple-A.
The infielder went 3-for-5, including a first-inning triple, and scored a run. Through his first two games with Las Vegas this season, he is 6-for-8 with a triple, a double and five total bases Wednesday alone.
He sparked the offense immediately, tripling to open the game before scoring on Tommy White’s groundout to give Las Vegas a 1-0 lead.
Dickey keeps raking
Jared Dickey reached base three times, finishing 2-for-3 with a double and two walks. He is now batting .429 on the season and continues to provide consistent traffic at the top of the lineup.
His sixth-inning double set the stage for Perez’s two-run homer.
Bullpen bends, holds
Brady Basso earned his first win of the season out of the bullpen, allowing one run over two innings while keeping Reno’s lineup in check during the middle frames.
The Aviators’ relief corps combined to limit damage after Reno trimmed the lead to 6-5 in the seventh. Wander Suero delivered a clean eighth, and Nick Anderson closed the door in the ninth.
Anderson allowed a leadoff single and walked two, but he stranded the tying and go-ahead runs to record his third save of the season. He did not record a strikeout but secured the final out on a fly ball to left.
Up Next
The series continues Thursday afternoon at Greater Nevada Field, with first pitch set for 2:05 p.m. ET (11:05 a.m. local).
Las Vegas will send left-hander Jake Jump (0-2, 6.33 ERA) to the mound. Jump has struck out 41 batters this season and will look to build on the bullpen’s momentum after Wednesday’s late-game hold.
Reno counters with left-hander Braden Bratt (0-0, 2.48 ERA), who has been sharp in limited action with 29 strikeouts and a sub-2.50 ERA entering the matchup.
The Aviators will aim to secure the series and move further above the .500 mark as they continue their road trip.
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Aviators rally late but fall 8-6 in Reno as Kuroda-Grauer shines in debut
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Dice City Sports editor Mark Hebert covers the Vegas Golden Knights, Las Vegas Raiders, Athletics, and UNLV baseball and softball. He has 24 years of journalism experience, is also a senior reporter at Exhibit City News, and previously covered the Dallas Stars and Texas Rangers. Follow him on X or connect on LinkedIn.
