51s Pen Implodes Late In Opener With Reno

Las Vegas 51s @ Reno Aces

May 31, 2016

Seth Lugo @ Zack Godley

Teams	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		R	H	E
Las Vegas	0	2	0	1	2	0	0	1	0		6	12	2
Reno	1	0	0	0	1	1	4	3	X		10	15	1

W: Chafin (1-0, 0.00 ERA); L: Thornton (0-2, 5.76 ERA)

Boxscore

The Highlights:

Pitchers

Seth Lugo (7.28 ERA) – 6 IP, 8 H, 3 R (2 ER), 3 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 16 TB, 1 BB, 2 K (1 K/Sw), 7 GB: 7 FB: 8 LD: 2 PU, 102 Pitches (65 Strikes), 6 Swinging, 20 Called, 5.9% SwStr, 13.3% Whiff/Swing, 17 Pitches/IP, 27 BF

Zack Thornton (0-2, 5.76 ERA) – 1 IP, 5 H, 4 R (4 ER), 2 2B, 7 TB, 1 BB, 2 GB: 4 FB: 2 LD, 18 Pitches (10 Strikes), 1 Swinging, 1 Called, 5.6% SwStr, 11.1% Whiff/Swing, 18 Pitches/IP, 9 BF

Stolmy Pimentel (11.39 ERA) – 0 IP, 2 R (2 ER), 2 BB, 9 Pitches (1 Strikes), 1 Called, 2 BF

Paul Sewald (3.24 ERA) – 1 IP, 2 H, 1 R (1 ER), 1 2B, 3 TB, 1 K (1 K/Sw), 1 FB: 3 LD, 12 Pitches (8 Strikes), 1 Swinging, 8.3% SwStr, 12.5% Whiff/Swing, 12 Pitches/IP, 5 BF

Batters

2B - Dilson Herrera - 2-5, 2 RBI, 3 Pitches/PA

CF - Brandon Nimmo - 1-4, 1 R, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 1 BB, 2 K, 13.3% SwStr, 40% Whiff/Swing, 3 Pitches/PA

C - Johnny Monell - 1-4, 1 R, 1 BB, 1 K, 8.7% SwStr, 22.2% Whiff/Swing, 4.6 Pitches/PA

RF - Travis Taijeron - 2-4, 1 R, 1 BB, 1 K, 3.8 Pitches/PA

3B - Matt Reynolds - 1-5, 1 2B, 1 RBI, 4 K, 12% SwStr, 27.3% Whiff/Swing, 5 Pitches/PA

SS - Gavin Cecchini - 3-4, 1 R, 1 2B, 1 RBI, 1 BB, 1 K, 13.3% SwStr, 33.3% Whiff/Swing, 3 Pitches/PA

1B - Marc Krauss - 1-3, 2 R, 1 2B, 2 BB, 1 K, 18.2% SwStr, 57.1% Whiff/Swing, 4.4 Pitches/PA

SP – Seth Lugo - 1-3, 1 RBI, 1 K, 20% SwStr, 33.3% Whiff/Swing, 1.67 Pitches/PA

Recapish

            The Las Vegas 51s blew a golden opportunity to take game one in Reno Tuesday night, taking a 10-6 loss despite losing 5-1 at the midway point. Seth Lugo was able to avoid the big inning that has plagued him throughout the season to toss a quality start for the 51s, but the pen failed to contain Reno’s late onslaught.

            The Aces bats were hot from the start Tuesday night, but Seth Lugo was able to contain the damage over his 6 innings. Of the 8 hits he allowed, 5 went for extra bases, and 2 knocked in runs.

Reno leadoff batter Mike Freeman was one of several Aces to have a big night, and he started the 1^st with a triple to RF. Freeman came home on a groundout in the frame, but the 51s were quick to strike back with two in the 2^nd inning, and five by the 5^th. I break down the scoring details with highlights in more detail below, so enjoy!

            Lugo didn’t have a clean inning all night, and the 2^nd was the only frame Reno failed to record an extra base hit against him. Peter O’Brien finished with 3 doubles in the game, including an RBI double with two outs in the 5^th that made it a 5-2 game. Lugo would allow one more run in the 6^th when Kyle Jensen led off the frame with a homerun to left center field.

            With the bullpen currently short-handed, Zack Thornton was left out there in the 7^th as the Aces tagged him for 4 runs. Freeman and O’Brien doubled in the frame, and Thornton had a chance to face 9 different Aces. Stolmy Pimentel was asked to pitch the 8^th inning but couldn’t even throw strikes – he threw one.

            The 51s look to Duane Below (4-3, 3.70 ERA) to stop the bleeding Wednesday night in game two against the Aces, with game time scheduled to 10:05 PM.

Additional notes: The one guy who didn’t get a hit – T.J. Rivera – came in with a 17-game hitting streak on the line. The Bullpen was short-handed, partly because, as Russ Langer mentioned, Josh Edgin was sent to NY to have his arm looked at. Langer said this was just precautionary because they didn’t expect there to be anything wrong. With an error in the 5^th, Gavin Cecchini now has 5 in his last 5 games – 1 throwing and 4 fielding. The 51s need bullpen help, and Stolmy is especially at risk at this point.

MiLB.tv Scoring Highlights

            Las Vegas struck for two with two outs in the 2^nd inning. Gavin Cecchini extended the frame with a single to RF and then came home on a Seth Lugo hit to tie the game at 1.Dilson then put the 51s ahead when he smacked a hanging breaking ball into LF for an RBI single.

            Dilson added another RBI hit his next time to the plate, bringing home Marc Krauss to make this a 3-1 game.

Marc Krauss doubled but Gavin Cecchini was just barely thrown out at home

Dilson Herrera

            Matt Reynolds and Gavin Cecchini capped the 51s early scoring with RBI doubles in the 5^th inning. Reynolds was well struck to the warning track in right center field. Cecchini’s was more of a gift double, as Rome’s right fielder didn’t get a good read on the ball until it was sailing over his head.

Travis Taijeron

Matt Reynolds

Gavin Cecchini

            Brandon Nimmo would line out to the center field warning track in his 2^nd AB – estimated at 405 feet by Russ Langer – and then launched a solo blast to CF in the 8^th inning.

            Gavin Cecchini kept the game alive a few pitches longer when he lined a single into CF with two outs in the 9^th inning.

Pitcher Coverage

Seth Lugo

Table 1 – Lugo pitch stats by inning

	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	5th	6th	Total
Total	13	14	13	16	25	21	102
Strikes	11	10	8	8	14	14	65
Swinging*	2	0	0	2	1	1	6

*5.9% Swinging strike rate; 13.3% Whiff/Swing

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