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It was a long two-plus weeks since the Las Vegas Aviators had last seen the Sacramento River Cats.
However, when last seen the Aviators were winners of four of six against the River Cats from Las Vegas Ballpark to open the new year.
This time around, Las Vegas duplicated its performance, winning four of six games, however this time from Sutter Health Park in Sacramento.
The Aviators are now 8-4 against the River Cats this year.
Las Vegas will remain on the road for a six-game series against the Albuquerque Isotopes of the Colorado Rockies organization.
Las Vegas is 12-12 on the year and sits at third place in the West Division of the Triple-A West.
Thursday, W, 6-5
Starting pitcher Jesus Luzardo is with Las Vegas on a rehab assignment from the Oakland Athletics as he has been dealing with a finger issue.
Luzardo went 1 ⅔ innings allowing a hit while striking out one.
Originally scheduled starter Paul Blackburn would get the win in relief going 4 ⅔ innings, allowing two runs on six hits, striking out five and walking one.
However, a 3-0 Las Vegas lead was cut to 3-2 in the bottom of the seventh inning before relievers Adam Kolarek and Jordan Weems would both record holds.
Pitcher Domingo Acevedo recorded the save.
The 6-7-8 hitters (Skye Bolt, Greg Deichmann and Jacob Wilson) for the Aviators combined to go 6-for-11 with a home run, a triple, two doubles, four RBI, five runs, three strikeouts and two walks.
Friday, L, 7-2
Sacramento scored four of its seven runs with two outs to even the series through the first two games.
Starter Brian Howard pitched 4.2 innings, allowing six runs on eight hits, two home runs, a hit batter and a walk. He also struck out five.
Of the six runs scored, only three were earned runs for Howard who lost his second straight decision.
The Aviators didn’t record their first hit until the fourth inning after shortstop Pete Kozma drew a walk.
Kozma later scored on a sacrifice fly from team-RBI leader Francisco Peña.
First baseman Frank Schwindel accounted for the other run via a solo home run in the sixth.
Saturday, W, 4-2
Las Vegas avoided disaster after shutting the door in the final inning against Sacramento.
Three of the first four River Cat hitters reached in the ninth inning as first baseman Justin Bour struck out with a runner in scoring position.
Starter Daulton Jeffries didn’t allow his first hit or base runner until the fifth inning.
Jeffries struck out the next batter before being pulled from the game.
He pitched 4 ⅓ innings, allowing that one hit and striking out three.
Reliever A.J. Puk was given the win as Jeffries didn’t go the necessary five innings to get the decision.
Puk went 1.2 innings, striking out two and walking one as he improves to 2-1 with the Aviators this season.
The first eight batters struck out to start the game for Vegas and nine of the first 10.
Outfielder Buddy Reed got the scoring going with an RBI single in the fifth inning.
That was followed by an RBI sacrifice fly from outfielder Luis Barrera and a two-run double from shortstop Pete Kozma.
Sunday, W, 9-5
Starter Parker Dunshee got his first win of the year in his fifth outing of the year as Las Vegas scrapes back to .500.
Dunshee went six full innings, allowing one run on five hits while walking four and striking out four.
He was 0-3 in his previous four games started.
Outfielder Greg Deichmann was one of three Aviators with two hits on the night.
He went 2-for-4, with a home run, double, four RBI, run scored, a walk and a strikeout.
First baseman Frank Schwindel and infielder Nate Mondou also went 2-for-4 respectively.
Both Schwindel and Mondou walked in the game while the former scored a run and the latter scored two.
Las Vegas recorded hits off five of the seven pitchers seen during the game.
Monday, W, 11-7
In a Memorial Day matinee, Las Vegas used a 11-7 win to get back over .500 on the year while securing a series win in this six-game set.
Reliever Argenis Angulo was deemed the winner when it was all said and done with both teams recording five-run innings.
The Aviators’ five-run inning occurred in the second to go up 5-1.
The River Cats’ big inning came in the fifth to go up 7-6.
The Aviators scored three runs over the last three innings while scattering four hits over the last four innings pitched.
Five hitters for Las Vegas recorded two or more hits led by three-hit days from outfielder Luis Barrera and catcher Francisco Peña.
Barrera now has 11 RBI in 15 games with the Aviators.
Peña, on the other hand, was 0-for-11 in this series before his big night and he was 0/17 since hitting a home run against Salt Lake May 24.
Tuesday, L, 5-4
Las Vegas was once up 4-2 as late as the fifth inning, as the Aviators lose on the walk-off.
The last three runs of the game came via the home run ball including a solo home run off the bat of Sacramento’s Braden Bishop to send the fans home happy.
Pitcher Matt Milburn was given the loss after allowing that game-winning swing of the bat in his one inning of work.
Milburn now has an earned run average of 10.45.
He has pitched his last two outings in relief after starting two consecutive appearances before that.
Both of his relief appearances have resulted in losses.
Catcher Austin Allen recorded a two-run home run to go along with an RBI double from second baseman Vimael Machîn and an RBI single from first baseman Frank Schwindel accounts for all Vegas runs on the night.