EL PASO — The Chihuahuas were up 4-1 going into the top of the eighth inning, looking for a fourth straight win. Then the Reno Aces rallied off of El Paso’s top relief prospect, Garrett Hawkins, as three El Paso errors helped put five runs on the board.
The home team rallied back twice, on Nick Schnell’s fifth home run of the year in the eighth and again when Mason McCoy, who had entered the game as a pinch-runner, singled in the tying run with two outs in the ninth.
Unfortunately, they didn’t have a third answer in them after the Aces scored again in the tenth and they took their first loss of the series 7-6.
“We have to be realists in this situation,” said Chihuahuas’ manager Pete Zamora. “We didn’t put the game away defensively. Everyone always says it’s about the closer, but in most cases, you have to put the game away defensively.
“Usually, we are pretty good with the glove, but we weren’t tonight, and it costs us.”
Evan Fitterer has been very impressive since joining the Padres. (Photo: Jorge Salgado)
One of the positives on the night was the start by right-hander Evan Fitterer, 25, who went a season-high four scoreless innings. He punched out four and only allowed a pair of singles.
Fitterer, signed as a minor league free agent this winter, worked with a three-pitch mix, with a four-seam fastball sitting 95-96, a curve, and a changeup. Of the 49 pitches he threw, 35 were strikes. In five outings, the one-time Marlins fifth-rounder has logged some of the more impressive results in the system, with a 1.42 ERA in 12.2 innings.
“Right now we are just trying to make him comfortable,” said Zamora. “It’s a new organization for him, and we don’t know him. We want him to get comfortable.
“He’s from my hometown [Mission Viejo, California], and I’ve known him since he was younger. He is just a very calm kid, and he’s ready to go when it’s time to go. He had a very good performance tonight.
“A lot of high-end stuff. Upper-90s fastball, putting it where he wants it to go, along with a good curve.”
Last season in Double-A Pensacola for Miami, Fitterer posted a 3.42 ERA in 94.2 innings, but also walked 42. So far this year, he has a strong 16:4 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 14.2 frames.
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While Hawkins was done in by his defense, the 26-year-old’s trademark fastball continued to lag behind its previous dominance. Hawkins sat 93-94 with it, and generated less ride – about 17 inches of induced vertical break – than he’s used to. Hawkins did spot the ball better than he had in the last few outings, getting it in the zone on eight of his 14 fastballs, but got only one whiff with his best offering.
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Nate Mondou, 31, is off to a slow start as he struggles to find playing time in his third year with El Paso. The Wake Forest alumnus had a big night Friday, though, coming up a double short of the cycle. … Pablo Reyes, 32, who joined the organization in the winter as a minor league free agent, also had three hits on the night but was a little shaky defensively in his second game this season at first base.He’s seen time in the big leagues in seven of the last eight seasons, but never topped 185 plate appearances in a season.
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El Paso had a few chances to win the game after the eighth-inning meltdown. After Schnell led off the bottom of the inning with a home run, they loaded the bases with one out. Reno was able to come back and strike out both Jase Bowen and Carlos Rodriguez. … In the bottom of the ninth, after McCoy singled to tie the game, a diving play by the Reno left fielder on Rodolfo Duran’s line drive saved the game for the Aces.
“We hit a lot of rockets right at people, but the baseball gods didn’t bless us tonight. It’s just part of the game,” said Zamora.
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