See-saw week ends in split as Aviators sprint toward All-Star break

Las Vegas had to endure its longest losing streak of the season at four games to begin the week but a mid-series three-game win streak helped the team salvage a six-game road series split with El Paso.

As a result, the Aviators are now 10-8 in the second half portion of the schedule heading into the all-star break. Currently, that record has the team tied for fourth in the Pacific Coast League with the Oklahoma City Comets.

The league is led by the Tacoma Rainiers of the Seattle Mariners organization and a two-way tie between the aforementioned Chihuahuas and the Sacramento River Cats.

Despite how the second half concludes, Las Vegas has already punched a ticket to this year's PCL Championship series by winning the league's first half.

The Aviators will return to action Friday, July 18 from the Las Vegas Ballpark for three games against the Round Rock Express of the Texas Rangers organization.

Tuesday, L, 11-4

Make that three straight losses for the Aviators following a series opening loss to the Chihuahuas Tuesday. In total, that’s five losses in the last five outings for the first-half champions.

Las Vegas found itself down double-digits after just two innings of play.

Pitcher Ken Waldichuk made his third rehab start with the Aviators and entered into immediate danger with the bases loaded with one out recorded in the first inning. He’d walk in the game’s first run but three more would soon cross the plate on a three-run double.

Waldichuk would be done after that short outing but another RBI single was charged to his stat line as part of a five-run first by the home team. He gave up those five runs on two hits with two strikeouts versus three walks in ⅔ of an innings. It resulted in his first decision of the season as he fell to 0-1.

Even with the bullpen being called on, El Paso produced a second straight five-run inning in the second. Three walks loaded the bases before a grand slam cleared them on the second pitch. Not long after another pitching change came as the team fell behind 10-0 and ultimately 11-0 after an RBI double in the fifth inning.

Las Vegas didn’t find offensive success until the ninth inning beginning with an RBI sacrifice fly by second baseman Brett Harris.

Fellow middle infielder Darell Hernaiz followed it up with an RBI single only to be driven in on a two-run home run by catcher Willie MacIver.

Wednesday, L, 7-3

It’s now a season-long four-game losing streak for the Aviators as the recent slump continues. They have lost six of their last seven outings and are now 7-7 in the second half slate of the minor league schedule.

Starting pitcher Joey Estes had his first run surrendered on an RBI sacrifice fly in the bottom of the second inning. Soon after, an RBI single and an RBI triple added two more runs to the scoreboard.

The third inning brought more success for the Chihuahuas in the form of a 1-out solo homer and a two-run single with two outs to go up, 6-0.

Estes would leave after those three innings of work with six runs allowed on six hits with three strikeouts and two walks. While dropping to 2-2, Las Vegas lost just its fourth game started by him in 11 tries but it’s a second straight dropped contest.

The Aviators’ bullpen combined to give up just a run on five hits in five innings on the mound with three strikeouts tallied against two walks.

Two of the three runs scored by Las Vegas came in the game’s final inning. It found itself in a two-on, one out situation with both runners reaching on walks. Right fielder Alejo Lopez drove in the lead runner on an RBI single coupled with another RBI single from teammate Brennan Milone.

In fact, Milone got the scoring started for the Aviators with an RBI sacrifice fly in the fifth inning after falling into the 6-0 deficit.

Thursday, W, 6-4

The four-game losing streak is over for Las Vegas as the team captured its first lead of the series which resulted in the team’s first win of the series. Moreover, it’s the team’s first win since this past Friday.

In the second inning, the Aviators loaded the bases with two outs recorded before jumping ahead four runs on two swings. Shortstop Darell Hernaiz plated two on a two-run single before being followed up by a two-run double by left fielder Carlos Cortes.

Las Vegas’ final two runs of the game came in the fifth inning after loading the bases again, this time with nobody out. Runs would come to pass on a fielder’s choice out and an RBI sacrifice fly.

Pitcher David Leal made his first Triple-A start and would face runners in scoring position in two of his three innings of work. He’d work around danger in every scenario on the way to a three-inning outing with two hits surrendered to go along with a strikeout and a walk.

El Paso didn’t get into the score column until the fourth inning with reliever Jack Cushing on the bump. In succession, the fourth frame began with a walk, double, RBI single and RBI sacrifice fly to cut the four-run lead in half.

Fellow reliever Scott McGough (3-0) got the win after pitching two innings of one-hit ball en route to the win. Right-hander Anthony Maldonado picked up his seventh save of the season on the back end of the team’s first win of the week.

Friday, W, 7-3

Las Vegas earned its second straight win against El Paso as the series is 2-2 heading into the weekend. Catcher Willie MacIver had a big hand in helping his team pick up the Friday win.

In the third inning, the Aviators broke a 2-2 tie on an RBI single from left fielder Colby Thomas. He’d be driven in by MacIver on a two-out RBI single.

That run-producing hit was wedged between two big blasts on his way to a 3-for-5 night with a single, two homers, four RBI, two runs scored and a strikeout. The first home run came in the second inning in leadoff fashion to push the lead to 2-0. In the fifth inning, he plated two on another dinger to extend the lead to 6-3.

With two home runs in the game and three in the series, MacIver now has five longballs on the year.

Veteran starter Aaron Brooks went at least six innings for the third time this season on the way to a season-high seven innings pitched. He gave up three runs (one earned) on four hits with six strikeouts and two walks. Two of those runs came following a bases loaded situation with no outs tallied in the home half of the second inning. Both runs would cross home plate on a fielder’s choice error and a double play.

Brooks’ work on the mound led to his first win since June 18 as he improved to 2-1 on the year.

Saturday, W, 8-7 F/12 innings

Las Vegas earned its first win of the season in extra innings as part of now a three-game win streak. The team could claim the series with a win in the finale after dropping the first two games of the week.

Ultimately, the Aviators outlasted the Chihuahuas on a run being scored on a lackluster fielder’s choice out in the top of the 12th inning. To that point, the club had the home team match its effort every step of the way in extra innings.

Center fielder JJ Bleday gave the team a, 6-5, lead in the 10th inning on an RBI single only to have that matched by a one-out RBI single in the bottom half of the frame. An inning later, shortstop Darell Hernaiz gave the visitors another lead on an RBI sacrifice fly which was duplicated by El Paso in the home half of the 11th inning.

The aforementioned Bleday and fellow outfielder Carlos Cortes combined to go 6-for-12 with four singles, two home runs, six RBI, four runs scored and a strikeout.

Bleday opened the day’s scoring as the third installment of three straight two-out singles in the first inning to go up, 1-0. He’d later homer in the sixth inning for another run to trim the 3-2 El Paso lead to a single run.

Cortes would give the Aviators the lead on a three-run shot in the seventh inning.

Las Vegas survived three blown saves on the way to an extra-inning win. Relief pitchers Tyler Ferguson (2), Ben Bowden (3) and Anthony Maldonado (1) all recorded blown saves on the night. Maldonado would add his first win despite the slight hangup to move to 1-2 on the season.

Reliever Gustavo Rodriguez picked up his first save of the season after pitching a 1-2-3 bottom of the 12th inning with a ghost runner on second base.

Sunday, L, 6-3

A series-finale loss means the Aviators will end the week with a split to the Chihuahuas as the team’s three-game win streak came to an end.

Pitcher Ken Waldichuk (0-2) lost his second game of the series after another disastrous start. He coughed up a three-run home run in the first inning to fall behind 3-0. In two first innings this week, he has given up eight total runs.

The final run given up by Waldichuk came an inning later as part of a double steal. He completed three innings of work with four runs allowed on three hits with two strikeouts and four walks.

This week, he allowed a total of nine runs on five hits in 3 ⅔ innings on the mound as part of his rehab stint. He now has an earned run average of 11.00.

Normal starter Mason Barnett pitched the final five innings of the game, allowing two runs on five hits with seven strikeouts and two walks. Before this week, he had started all 17 of his appearances this season with a 5-1 overall record. This week, he pitched 10 innings in relief with three runs surrendered on nine hits while compiling 15 strikeouts versus just three walks.

Las Vegas scored all three of its runs in two innings: the second and the eighth.

Catcher Daniel Susac put his team on the board with a two-run homer in the second inning after the team had fallen behind by three runs. In the eighth inning, right fielder Carlos Cortes drove in another run on an RBI double.