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Avery Short and Reno Aces shut out Sacramento River Cats 5-0 at Greater Nevada Field
Avery Short tossed five scoreless innings and four Reno relievers completed the shutout as the Aces defeated the Sacramento River Cats 5-0 at Greater Nevada Field on August 27, 2026.
Avery Short tossed five scoreless innings in his Reno Aces debut and the bullpen completed the shutout as the Aces blanked the Sacramento River Cats 5-0 on Thursday night at Greater Nevada Field in front of 3,632 fans.
The win snapped a two-game losing streak for Reno (55-71) and kept the River Cats (71-50) from extending their lead in the Pacific Coast League West.
How It Unfolded
Reno struck in the first. LuJames Groover walked, moved to second on a Demetrio Crisantes single and scored when Manuel Pena grounded a single through the left side. Shortstop Aeverson Arteaga's throwing error on the play allowed both runners to advance, leaving runners on second and third, but Kristian Robinson struck out to end the inning — but not before the Aces had a 1-0 lead.
Christian Cerda doubled to left leading off the second and scored on a Pavin Smith double down the left-field line. Smith's sharp liner gave the Aces a 2-0 lead and chased Sacramento starter Joe Whitman into deep counts.
Whitman (3-4) settled in through the middle innings, retiring six of seven between the third and fourth, but the Aces added single runs in the sixth and two in the seventh. Tyler Locklear drove in one run, Robinson added a sacrifice fly, and Gavin Conticello doubled home another. Pena (3-for-4) scored a pair and knocked in one.
The Turning Point
The game swung decisively in the second inning when Smith's two-out double made it 2-0. That was the only second-inning run Whitman allowed across six frames, but it gave Short a cushion he never needed — the River Cats never advanced a runner past third base after the first inning.
Key Performers
Avery Short (W, 1-0) — Called up from Amarillo earlier in the week, the left-hander scattered three hits and one walk over five innings without striking out a batter but kept Sacramento off balance with 40 strikes on 66 pitches. He induced seven fly-ball outs and five ground-ball outs.
Manuel Pena — The Aces left fielder collected three singles in four at-bats, drove in Groover for the game's first run and scored a run himself. He was the only Reno batter with multiple hits.
Pavin Smith — The designated hitter delivered the decisive second-inning double that scored Cerda, giving the Aces a lead they never relinquished.
Reno bullpen — Luis Mercado (2 IP), Lucas Sims (1 IP) and Isaiah Campbell (1 IP) combined for four scoreless innings, allowing five hits but stranding five runners.
By the Numbers — Interpreted
Reno out-hit Sacramento 12-8 but the gap was wider than the box score suggests. The Aces went 5-for-12 with runners in scoring position; the River Cats managed 1-for-5. Sacramento grounded into three double plays — two by catcher Zach Morgan alone — that snuffed out their best scoring chances. Reno's 12 hits produced five runs with no home runs, a testament to sustained single-base accumulation rather than the long ball.
What It Means
Reno (55-71) remains fifth in the PCL West but has now taken two of three in this series after dropping the opener. Sacramento (71-50) sits in second place as they pursue the division-leading Tacoma Rainiers. The teams meet again on Friday, August 28 at Greater Nevada Field for the fourth game of their six-game set.