A home series against the lowly Albuquerque Isotopes is exactly what the doctor ordered for the Las Vegas Aviators as it appears the team may be on the right track to gaining traction in the standings.
Las Vegas ended up taking five of six from Albuquerque from Las Vegas Ballpark to win its second series in the month of August.
All five of the team’s wins came in come-from-behind fashion with Albuquerque scoring first in five of those games as well.
Designated hitter Khris Davis made his power felt early and often against Isotope pitching, crushing four home runs in the six games played.
Five wins, one loss means the Aviators are now 51-45 on the year and are still sitting at third place in the Western Division of the Triple-A West.
The team will now head back to the road for a six-game series with the Oklahoma City Dodgers.
It will be the team’s first meeting against the Los Angeles Dodgers’ Triple-A affiliate.
Thursday, L, 10-6
Starting pitcher Miguel Romero came close but couldn’t get out of the fourth inning of Las Vegas’ 10-6 loss to Albuquerque.
He ended up going 3.2 innings, allowing six runs (five earned) on nine hits with four strikeouts and two walks.
Though limited, those two walks proved to be self-inflicted wounds that were too much for Romero to overcome.
After a two-out walk to load the bases in the first inning, the Isotopes got on the board first with an RBI single.
After another two-out walk in the fourth inning, Romero gave up an RBI triple to first baseman Colton Welker and a two-run home run to designated hitter Greg Bird.
By the end of the fourth inning, Albuquerque had collected 11 of its 15 hits and scored seven of its 10 runs.
In addition, the Isotopes scored eight of their 10 runs with two outs.
Designated hitter Khris Davis hit a home run in his first at-bat of his home debut with the Aviators.
It was his second home run in six games with Las Vegas this year in the form of a 437-foot towering shot.
He went 2-for-4 with a single, home run, two RBI and a run scored.
The game got drastically closer after a four-run sixth inning highlighted by a three-run home run by catcher Austin Allen.
It was his 19th home run of the year, breaking a tie for first on the team while cutting the deficit to 7-6.
Allen went 2-for-4 with a home run, three RBI and two runs scored.
After another run scored in the top of the ninth inning, both Allen and manager Fran Riordan were ejected after arguing the call with home plate umpire, Darius Ghani.
Friday, W, 12-7 Las Vegas would not be denied this time around as its comeback effort was rewarded with a 12-7 win over Albuquerque.
A big sixth and seventh innings, where the team scored eight runs, proved to be the difference after falling behind early.
Catcher Aramis Garcia tied the game in the seventh inning after the Aviators loaded the bases with one out.
Garcia proceeded to send a base hit to right field to tie the game at seven apiece.
It was his first of two hits during a 2-for-5 outing.
He also came around to score later that inning.
Las Vegas is 6-1 in games caught by Garcia.
Right fielder Luis Barrera made the game-changing play with one swing of the bat two batters later.
Barrera smacked a single up the middle to plate two runs and give the Aviators their first lead of the night.
He went 3-for-4 with three singles, two RBI and two runs scored.
Two other Aviators had three-hit games highlighted by two home runs from left fielder Carlos Perez, during his 3-for-4 night.
His first home run was a solo shot in the Aviators’ half of the second inning while his second came in the midst of a three-run sixth inning to cut the deficit to a run.
Third baseman Vimael Machîn also went 3-for-4 with a single, two triples, three RBI, a run scored and a strikeout.
Pitcher Daulton Jefferies had his first bad start of the year against Albuquerque despite his team’s win.
Jefferies was tagged for seven runs (six earned) on 12 hits in six innings of work with four strikeouts and one walk.
It was the first walk he’s issued against Albuquerque in 12 innings pitched.
He had issues out the gate with leadoff hitters, allowing the leadoff man to come around score in the first inning.
Half of the leadoff hitters he faced reached base with the Isotopes scoring runs in five of Jefferies’ six innings.
Relief pitcher Ben Bracewell got the win after working a virtually perfect two innings, allowing just one hit.
Reliever Domingo Acevedo closed the game despite it not being a save situation.
Saturday, W, 8-6
More than half of the game’s runs came in the first three innings of the game in Las Vegas’ 8-6 win over Albuquerque.
The Aviators fell behind 3-0 before left fielder Luis Barrera hit an RBI single to third base; however, another run came across to score after two throwing errors by the Isotopes.
His single drove in designated hitter Austin Allen who opened up the scoring with an RBI single on a line drive.
Those were the only two hits through the team’s first 10 at-bats.
Barrera also had another RBI single in the eighth inning.
During the night, he went 3-for-4 with two singles, two RBI and a run scored.
He was one of two players that recorded three hits on the night as catcher Francisco Peña was the other.
Peña went 3-for-4 with two singles, two RBI and a run scored.
It was one of those RBI singles in the third inning that broke the 3-3 tie, before later coming around to score.
Reliever James Naile improved to 7-0 on the year after getting the win out of the bullpen.
Naile pitched 1.2 innings, allowing one run on one hit while recording a strikeout.
Pitcher Kyle Friedrichs got the start and ended up going 4.1 innings yielding three runs on nine hits with a strikeout and walk.
Sunday, W, 13-11 F/10
Las Vegas stormed its way into a three-game win streak following a walk-off win over Albuquerque.
Designated hitter Khris Davis struck in spectacular fashion as he helped the Aviators secure a 13-11 win over the Isotopes.
The home run came with two-on, two outs and Davis and the Aviators down to their last strike.
Las Vegas had a 7-0 lead erased despite some early power swinging.
Center fielder Skye Bolt hit a three-run home run in the second inning to put the Aviators up 6-0.
Bolt finished the night going, 2-for-6 with a single, home run, three RBI and a run scored.
An additional solo home run from catcher Carlos Perez put the home team up 7-0 in the fourth inning.
Perez went 2-for-4 with a double, home run, RBI, run scored, walk and a strikeout.
As a team, Las Vegas hit four home runs including left fielder Marty Bechina’s solo blast in the fifth inning.
It was that same inning that starter Brian Howard had his toughest stretch.
Howard was knocked around in the fifth inning for all six runs accounted for during his outing.
Prior to the fifth inning, Howard had allowed just one hit through with five strikeouts and a walk.
All five of his strikeouts were swinging.
After Albuquerque took an 11-10 in the top of the 10th inning, Las Vegas would trail for the first time in the game.
Davis came up with two-on, two out and was down to his last strike before hitting the game-changing moonshot.
Every Las Vegas starter recorded at least one hit.
Third baseman Mickey McDonald went 5-for-5 with three singles, two RBI, a walk and three runs scored.
Monday, W, 7-6
Back-to-back walk off wins aided the Aviators in securing their first four-game win streak since late June.
This time around left fielder Luis Barrera played hero knocking home two runs to secure the win for Las Vegas.
During the game, the Aviators trailed 2-0, 4-2 and finally 6-2 before completing yet another come-from-behind effort.
In addition to the first walk off win of the series, Las Vegas was down to its final out and its final strike.
Barrera connected on a two-run infield single that scored pinch runner Marty Bechina and catcher Carlos Perez after entering the game as a pinch runner in the eighth inning.
Those late-game heroics saved the outing for starting pitcher Argenis Angulo who didn’t make it to the third inning.
Angulo allowed four runs on five hits in two innings pitched with a walk and no strikeouts.
It was only the second start of the year for the normal relief pitcher.
Reliever Ben Bracewell (4-1) got the win after pitching an inning where he walked one and gave up two hits.
Designated hitter Khris Davis also homered again for the Aviators bringing his total to four in nine games with Las Vegas.
Tuesday, W, 9-4
Starter Miguel Romero got a second chance to start in this six-game series and he rebounded from an opening game loss in this series.
The Aviators came from behind yet again to defeat the Isotopes, 9-4, this time around.
It was the fifth time Las Vegas came from behind to win a game in this series.
Romero (3-6) was chased in the fourth inning to open the series but his six-inning outing this time resulted in him getting his first win in a month.
In those six innings, he allowed four runs on five hits while striking out three and walking one on 86 pitches, 50 for strikes.
After Albuquerque raced out to a 3-0 lead in the top of the first, Las Vegas responded with a three-run bottom half of the frame.
The Aviators proceeded to score in each of the first four innings to take control of the game.
Designated hitter Khris Davis continued his power stretch with two more home runs during a 3-for-4 night where he also collected a triple, three RBI and three runs scored.
During this series, Davis hit .391 with five home runs and 12 RBI.
Eight of his nine hits went for extra-bases, accounting for 29 total bases.
Las Vegas is now 7-6 in its Reyes de Plata uniforms.
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