EL PASO — The Chihuahuas were down 10-2 going into the bottom of the third inning, but they weren’t about to pack it in as they came back to win 12-11 in 10 innings over Reno.
“I think we are never out of it in this park,” said a smiling Chihuahuas manager, Pete Zamora. “We always say that you need to stay in the fight and just keep chipping away because big innings can happen here.
“This team always reacts very well to playing nine innings. There is no clock, so as long as we have outs, then we have a chance.”
Rodlfo Duran scores the winning run as El Paso comes all the way back. (Photo: Jorge Salgado)
It was not Jackson Wolf’s night as the tall lefty allowed 10 earned runs in 2.1 innings. How uncharacteristic a night was it for Wolf? In April, he allowed just six earned runs total in five starts and 26.2 innings.
“The first thing about Jackson is he is in the locker room congratulating his whole team on a great victory, and you would never know that he had a bad night, that’s just what kind of teammate he is,” said Zamora.
“He’s an incredible teammate and competitor, and sometimes you have four or five starts where things are going well, and you have a bump in the road. It’s a long season, but I know he is going to get back on the mound and move forward and start doing Jackson Wolf stuff.”
To cover Wolf’s off night, the Chihuahuas scored in eight different innings, with the big blow coming on Mason McCoy’s two-out grand slam in the seventh. Nearly everyone in Southwest University Park thought the ball down the line was foul ball, but the umpires ruled it fair.
El Paso finished the comeback in the eighth inning, tying the game on Mike Brosseau’s solo home run. Reno put two runners on in the top of the ninth inning, but Eduarniel Núñez came on and got top Diamondbacks prospect Jordan Lawlar to ground into a double-play on a nasty slider.
Nunez, who was recently promoted from Double-A San Antonio, opened the top of the tenth and struck out the first two batters with a lethal combination of 98 to 101 mph fastballs and power sliders. After a walk, he got a soft grounder in front of the plate to leave Manfred Man stranded at second.
Rodolfo Duran opened the tenth with a bunt back to the pitcher, who was able to get Tim Locastro at third base on a fielder’s choice. But the Chihuahuas caught a break when an error by the Aces’ second baseman put runners on first and third with one out.
After a pop-out by Brosseau, Forrest Wall laced a single to the right field wall for the game-winning hit to cap a 3-for-5 day with a pair of doubles.
Mason McCoy gets into one. (Photo: Jorge Salgado)
El Paso pounded out 13 hits on the night, with Wall and Luis Campusano leading the way with three hits. Campusano, who has struggled mightily with the big club this year, hasn’t looked rusty since his return to El Paso.
“There has been a lot of growing up by Luis,” said Zamora. “I’ve had him for close to ten years. I was in the Arizona League when he first got drafted, and I’m incredibly proud of him.
“He got sent down again because that is just the way major league rosters work, and the first thing he does is he walks into my office with a big smile on his face and says, ‘Let’s get to work.’
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