The Las Vegas Aviators nearly pulled off their biggest comeback of the season Friday night, clawing back from seven runs down before falling 9-8 to Reno at Greater Nevada Field.
Las Vegas pounded out 14 hits and brought the tying run to the plate in the ninth, but the late surge ended on a flyout to center as the Aviators slipped to 21-20.
First-pitch fireworks
Joshua Kuroda-Grauer wasted no time electrifying the night.
The 23-year-old shortstop crushed a 399-foot solo homer at 100.4 mph in the first inning to give Las Vegas an early lead. Reno answered quickly, but it was only the beginning of another statement performance from the recent call-up.
Kuroda-Grauer finished 4-for-6 with a home run, a triple and an RBI, falling a double shy of the cycle.
Cooking at Triple-A
Since arriving from Double-A Midland, Kuroda-Grauer has been unstoppable.
Through four games, he is 10-for-20, batting .500 with a .524 on-base percentage and a .900 slugging percentage. His OPS sits at 1.424. Before the promotion, he was hitting .285 with six home runs and an .813 OPS in 33 games at Midland.
The former third-round pick out of Rutgers has immediately looked at home.
Reno builds its cushion
Reno seized control with a three-run third inning and added four more in the sixth. A two-run homer from Luis Urías in the seventh stretched the lead to 9-2 and forced Las Vegas to play from deep behind.
Starter Kade Morris took the loss, allowing five earned runs over 5.1 innings.
White fuels the comeback
The Aviators refused to fade.
Tommy White delivered a strong night at the plate, going 2-for-5 with three RBIs. His two-run double during a four-run eighth inning trimmed the deficit to 9-6 and reignited the dugout.
White and Kuroda-Grauer combined for 12 total bases, powering nearly every serious rally Las Vegas mounted.
Late lightning from Dickey
Jared Dickey delivered the final jolt.
The 23-year-old outfielder tripled in the eighth and launched a two-run homer in the ninth that pulled Las Vegas within 9-8. The blast left his bat at 104.5 mph and traveled 410 feet, briefly shifting the pressure back onto Reno.
Since his promotion, Dickey is batting .438 with a .526 on-base percentage and an .813 slugging percentage, good for a 1.339 OPS in four games. At Double-A Midland, he hit .215 with three home runs in 20 games.
The Tennessee product, an 11th-round pick in 2023, has added immediate impact to the lineup.
Las Vegas went 2-for-13 with runners in scoring position and left 11 on base, margins that ultimately proved decisive.
One swing short
With two aboard in the ninth and the tying run in scoring position, the Aviators had one final opportunity. Kuroda-Grauer lifted a fly ball to center, but Reno secured the final out to seal the one-run victory.
The fight was there. The finish fell just short.
Up next
The Aviators continue the series Saturday night at Greater Nevada Field. Right-hander Mason Barnett (2-0, 3.07 ERA, 32 strikeouts) is scheduled to start for Las Vegas against Reno left-hander Drake (1-3, 7.99 ERA, 27 strikeouts). First pitch is set for 7:05 p.m. PT.
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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.
