Las Vegas claims first five games of series, clinch first half along the way

Back-to-back losses to close a seven-game road series couldn’t spoil the mood around the Las Vegas Aviators.

The team went 5-2 against the Sugar Land Space Cowboys of the Houston Astros organization this past week. After winning both games of a Thursday doubleheader, Las Vegas celebrated winning the Pacific Coast League’s first half.

It ends the first half 49-26, the best record in all of Minor League Baseball.

The Aviators will now be headed to the playoffs for the first time since 2019. The second half is scheduled to start Tuesday, June 24 from Las Vegas Ballpark.

Las Vegas will be hosting the Albuquerque Isotopes of the Colorado Rockies organization next week. First pitch on Tuesday is scheduled for 7:05 p.m.

Tuesday, W, 7-0

The magic number is down to three for Las Vegas following a series-opening win over Sugar Land Tuesday night. That pushes the team’s win streak to eight games as its inches closer toward the postseason.

On the way to the win, Aviator pitching allowed just three hits en route to its third shutout of the year.

Starter Jack Perkins took a no-hitter into the fifth inning of his start just five days after going into the seventh with no hits allowed against Salt Lake. In that one, he went 6 ⅓ innings, with two hits allowed to go along with 12 strikeouts.

Entering play, Perkins sported an ERA of 0.79.  In this one, he just kept averting danger every time it presented itself.

In the first inning, he issued back-to-back walks with one out. He’d induce a flyball and strikeout to get out of the frame. Two innings later, he’d issue consecutive walks to open the third before a double play and strikeout got him out of it.

Sugar Land didn’t tally its first hit until its singled with one out recorded in the fifth. Perkins would then be pulled after leading off the sixth inning with another walk.

Perkins went five-plus innings in the win with one hit surrendered coupled with seven strikeouts and five walks. He is now 3-2 this season and hasn’t lost a game since May 25.

Some early doubles netted Las Vegas the lead and the eventual shutout win. First baseman Logan Davidson put the team on top with a two-run double in the game’s first inning.

Teammate Carlos Cortes duplicated the at-bat in the fifth inning to put the home team up, 4-0. He had 12 RBI in the series last week against Salt Lake.

A three-run ninth put the game out of reach. It started with the bases being loaded with just one out recorded. Designated hitter Daniel Susac drove in two runs on a single before another run scored on a fielder’s choice.

Wednesday, W, 7-1

The magic number for the Aviators is down to two. The team has picked up each of the first two games of a scheduled seven-game series against the Space Cowboys.

Additionally, the victory pushed the win streak to nine straight games following another ninth-inning push for Las Vegas.

For the second straight series, the Aviators scored in the first inning. This time, it was center fielder Colby Thomas blasting a three-run home run for his 17th dinger of the season.

Thomas would add another RBI to his stat line with a sacrifice fly in the third inning.

Three more runs came across to score in the ninth inning with the first scoring on a wild pitch. Left fielder Carlos Cortes smacked an RBI double to run the lead to five. Not long after, catcher Daniel Susac was walked with the bases loaded and two outs.

Thirty-five year old Aaron Brooks made his season debut after playing for Las Vegas last season. That early lead off the bat of Thomas came in handy when Sugar Land homered off Brooks in the bottom half of the first inning.

When needing to get out of an inning, Brooks relied on his infield as he induced several groundballs and double plays. He went six-plus innings of one-run ball on three hits with five strikeouts and a walk.

The Aviator bullpen pitched three scoreless innings while tallying seven strikeouts. Relievers David Leal and Gustavo Rodriguez both recorded holds while the former compiled his third.

Thursday, W, 1-0 (Game 1 of Doubleheader)

A masterful performance on the mound in a big spot for pitcher Kade Morris has trimmed the magic number down to one. In addition, the team’s win streak is now into double-digits. It’s the second double-digit win streak for the team this year.

In search of his first Triple-A win, Morris hurled the team’s first complete game of the season in a seven-inning game one of a scheduled doubleheader.

Morris gave up his first hit of the game on a two-out double in the second, which he’d soon leave stranded. An inning later he’d offer up another two-out hit, this time a single, but the runner would be thrown out going for two bases.

From there, Morris would retire nine straight before serving up a seventh inning leadoff double. Not only did he go on to pick up his first Triple-A win, he did it in stunning fashion.

Morris tossed his first Triple-A complete game and did it in a shutout. He went seven shutout innings, with three hits surrendered and six strikeouts versus zero walks.

Shortstop Darell Hernaiz singled in two runs in the first inning with two outs on the heels of back-to-back walks. Las Vegas is outscoring Sugar Land, 7-1, in the opening inning of games this series.

Some quieter runs later in the game helped push the visitors in the direction of a victory.

The fifth inning opened with a walk, a baserunner who reached on an error, and another walk. A run would come to pass on a double play. In the seventh, center fielder Colby Thomas’ RBI sacrifice fly added another run to the scoreboard.

Thursday, W, 6-3 (Game 2 of Doubleheader)

Las Vegas has clinched the first half as part of a blistering hot 11-game win streak, which is now a new season-long for the club. The win streak has seen the team take the first four games of a scheduled seven-game series against Sugar Land.

The Aviators are headed to the playoffs for the first time since 2019 while potentially playing for its third series sweep of the season. This series sweep would be a unique seven-game sweep.

The Space Cowboys scored its first run since Wednesday (17 innings) in the bottom of the third inning of Thursday’s game two of the doubleheader. That led to the pulling of spot starter Jake Walkinshaw, who went 2 ⅓ innings, with a run given up on two hits and three walks.

Reliever Jack Cushing entered the game and was dominant during his  2 ⅔ innings of work. He allowed an unearned run on a hit to go along with five strikeouts while improving to 8-1 on the year.

Fellow reliever Elvis Alvarado picked up his eighth save of the season after recording two strikeouts in 1 ⅓ innings on the mound.

Sugar Land helped Las Vegas take the lead in the second inning by walking in a run and hitting a batter for a run. Center fielder Alejo Lopez hit a double for another run with one out in the third inning. In that same frame, fellow outfielder Nick Martini added a run on an RBI sacrifice fly.

Martini now has 13 RBI in his first 13 games back with Las Vegas.

Catcher Daniel Susac made the home team pay for back-to-back walks to open the fourth inning. He plated two runs on a single.

In the win, third baseman Brett Harris went 3-for-4 with three singles and a run.

Friday, W, 4-1

Twelve straight wins for Las Vegas as the team’s season-long win streak continues.

Third baseman Brett Harris opened and closed the show in the win beginning with a run produced on an RBI walk in the first inning. With the bases loaded in the ninth, he drove in another run on an RBI sacrifice fly.

Left fielder Carlos Cortes picked up an RBI on an early single as well.

Pitcher Mason Barnett earned his fourth straight win with the only run surrendered coming on an RBI sacrifice fly in the fourth inning. He worked his way through five innings with one run allowed on six hits to go along with three strikeouts and two walks.

Barnett is now 5-1 this year with his lone loss coming back on May 16. Moreover, he had just one decision through his first eight starts this season.

Sugar Land was limited to just one run but had at least one baserunner in each inning. Las Vegas’ bullpen pitched four shutout innings on three hits with five strikeouts and three walks.

Relievers Tanner Dodson, Justin Sterner and Carlos Duran picked up holds in the win. Dodson and Duran both have three holds this season. Pitcher Scott McGough earned his first save of the season by shutting the door in the victory.

The Space Cowboys ultimately left 12 runners on base.

Saturday, L, 7-3

The win streak is over and the chance at a unique seven-game sweep is now finished. It’s only Las Vegas’ first loss in nearly two weeks.

Pitcher Luis Morales had two wins in the last series but would be ran in the third inning of this Saturday start. He found himself in trouble with two runners on and nobody out. The first run came across on a one-out RBI single. Soon after, Sugar Land tied the game at two on another RBI single.

The Space Cowboys would snatch its first lead of the game after a walk followed by a two-run single. Morales would leave after that and would post a final stat line of six runs allowed on six hits in 2 ⅓ innings of work with two strikeouts and five walks.

Two additional runs would score with reliever Gustavo Rodriguez on the mound 

Las Vegas’ runs came across quietly with two of the team’s three runs came in the first third of the contest. A wild pitch produced the first run before center fielder Colby Thomas added another on an RBI sacrifice fly.

Catcher Jhonny Pereda was responsible for the last Aviator run of the day on an RBI single in the sixth inning.

Las Vegas missed a golden opportunity in the eighth inning when designated hitter Daniel Susac was thrown out on a leadoff single trying to stretch it into a double. Immediately after, shortstop Darell Hernaiz walloped a double into the outfield with the bases empty.

The inning would end after back-to-back strikeouts.

Sunday, L, 5-2

A second straight loss ends a wild seven-game series but it goes down in the books as a series win for the Aviators.

Las Vegas fell behind 5-0 in the first five innings of the game. In the first inning, Sugar Land launched a two-run homer to open the scoring. In that same frame, it added another run on an RBI single.

The Space Cowboys blasted another two-run longball in the fifth inning for a 5-0 lead.

Starter Jake Walkinshaw (4-3) went two innings in a spot start with three runs allowed on four hits and a walk. Reliever Jack Cushing gave up two more runs on three hits in three innings on the mound with four strikeouts.

Left fielder Carlos Cortes accounted for the only Aviator runs on the day. He did so on a two-run home run with two outs tallied in the seventh inning.

Cortes just didn’t get much additional moments from the rest of the lineup. A strikeout with two runners on in the inning with the longball.

Those outcomes happened in the worst situations for Las Vegas in the loss. In the first inning a two-on, one out situation turned into a bases-loaded scenario with two outs. It would end with a flyout.

At one point, the team had seven straight batters retired.

Finally, in the ninth inning, designated hitter Zack Gelof walked to lead off the frame. A double play and flyout would end the scoring chance.

In total, the Aviators left 10 runners on base while going 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position. Over the last two games, the team is 1-for-19 with runners in scoring position.

In an interesting note, Las Vegas lost to pitcher Jason Alexander, who played earlier this season with the Aviators. He is now 4-0 this season with three of those victories coming with the Space Cowboys including two against his former team.