Three of a kind: Aces Cron, Tomás, Sherfy are PCL All Stars

Three Reno Aces have been selected to the 2019 Triple-A All-Star Game held in El Paso, Texas on July 10. 

First baseman Kevin Cron, outfielder Yasmany Tomás and relief pitcher Jimmie Sherfy formed a three-of-a-kind as participants in the All-Star game. It is the first Triple-A All-Star appearance for Cron and Tomás. 

Cron, 26, is batting .343 with 26 homers and 66 RBIs in 61 games with the Aces this season. He is tied for first in the PCL in home runs and second in RBIs. Before his call-up to the Arizona Diamondbacks on May 24, he led all of minor league baseball in home runs. 

Tomás, 28, hit .294 with 20 homers and 58 RBIs at the halfway mark. The Havana, Cuba, native is tied for second in the PCL in homers and fifth in RBIs. On May 20, he went 5-for-6 with four home runs and eight runs driven in against the Tacoma Rainiers.  Subsequently, the slugger was named PCL Player of the Week on May 26. 

Sherfy, 27, sports a 1-2 record and 2.59 ERA in 24 appearances with the Aces this season. His 46 saves are the most in franchise history.  It is the second Triple-A All-Star appearance for Sherfy in his fourth season with Reno. He was named to the All-Star team in 2017. 

The flame-throwing righty is equipped with a 98-mph fastball and a wipeout mid-80s slider that breaks at the knees of opposing batters.

The San Antonio Missions, Triple-A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers, led all PCL teams with four selections. 

MLB Pipeline’s No. 12 prospect Keston Hiura headlines the bunch. The 5-foot-11 second baseman is batting .332 with 69 hits, 19 home runs and 46 RBIs with the Missions this season. 

Hiura made his big-league debut with the Brewers on May 14. He hit . 281 with five home runs and nine RBIs in 17 games. 

Round Rock Express outfielder Kyle Tucker made his second-straight appearance in the All-Star game. MLB Pipeline’s No. 10 rated prospect, Tucker also is tied for the PCL lead with 23 homers to go along with 56 RBIs and 18 stolen bases. 

The Houston Astros have three of MLB Pipeline’s top-10 prospects in Tucker, pitcher Forrest Whitely and outfielder Yordan Alvarez. All three have players have played with Triple-A Round Rock this year. 

Las Vegas Aviators shortstop Jorge Mateo joined right-hander Paul Blackburn as the two choices to the All-Star Game. 

Known for his speed on the basepaths, Mateo has leads the PCL with 13 triples. He had a league-high 16 last year. 

Blackburn has a 7-1 record and a 5.45 ERA in 14 starts with the Aviators this season. The right-hander made one start with Las Vegas’ parent club, the Oakland A’s, on June 8. He surrendered five earned runs on five hits in three innings.

The Triple-A  All-Star Game will be held at Southwest University Park at 7:05 p.m. MT. The game will be televised live on MLB Network.

Reno, 33-44, returns to Greater Nevada Field on July 4 in a four-game home stand against the Sacramento River Cats, Triple-A affiliate of the San Francisco Giants.

Notes: Former Aces’ infielder Kelby Tomlinson signed a minor league free agent deal with the Seattle Mariners on June 1 and was assigned to Triple-A Tacoma. … Former Reno catcher Tyler Heineman is batting .314 with three home runs and eight RBIs with the New Orleans Baby Cakes, Triple-A affiliate of the Miami Marlins.

Lamb back to Dbacks, Leyba optioned: First/third baseman Jake Lamb was reinstated back to the Arizona Diamondbacks following his rehab assignment in Triple-A Reno. Domingo Leyba was optioned back to Reno. Lamb was on a rehabilitation assignment with the Aces after suffering a Grade 2 strain of his left quadriceps muscle on

April 5. Lamb injured his quad while legging out a double in the ninth inning on April 3 against the San Diego Padres. 

Lamb hit .179 with one homer, two doubles and seven RBIs in 12 games with the Aces. He appeared in five games at first and six at third. 

Leyba, 23, received his first Major League call-up on June 22 and recorded his first career hit that same night with the Arizona Diamondbacks in a pinch-hit appearance. The rangy infielder had three more plate appearances before he was optioned back to Triple-A Reno. 

Alex Young expected to start with Dbacks: According to multiple reports, left-handed pitcher Alex Young is expected to make his first career start with Arizona on Thursday against the San Francisco Giants. Young, 25, has a 4-3 record and 6.09 ERA with the Aces this season.

— Isaiah Burrows

Pacific Coast League All Stars