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While entering this series on a three-game losing streak the Las Vegas Aviators endured another three-game losing streak amidst a 2-4 series loss to the Sacramento River Cats this past week.
This year’s team is 13-11 against Sacramento despite starting the year with eight wins in the first 12 meetings.
It was the team’s sixth series loss this season versus seven series wins. Las Vegas has split seven series 3-3.
The Aviators are now 62-58 on the year and 6-12 in the month of September.
They are still third place in the Western Division of the Triple-A West eight games behind the Reno Aces for second place.
In addition, Las Vegas is now 11 games behind the Tacoma Rainiers for first place in the division.
The Aviators will return home for a five-game series with the Oklahoma City Dodgers that will feature the team’s regular season home finale.
Thursday, W, 6-4
Las Vegas ended a three-game losing streak with a two-run win over Sacramento in the series opener.
In the top of the first, center fielder Mickey McDonald cracked a leadoff triple before being left stranded after three consecutive strikeouts.
On the other hand, starting pitcher Parker Dunshee retired the first eight River Cat batters he saw.
McDonald singled in the top of the third and would eventually come around on a two-run home run by left fielder Carlos Perez to give the Aviators a 2-0 lead.
It was the 29th home run of the year for Perez, good for the team lead.
An inning later, first baseman Francisco Peña double and scored on an RBI single from right fielder Luis Barrera.
Sacramento didn’t score its first run until the bottom of the fourth inning.
Dunshee went four innings, allowing a run on four hits while compiling two strikeouts.
However, reliever James Naile got the win after working two innings, allowing two hits while striking out one.
Naile improves to 8-0 this year.
Las Vegas had a lead as large as five after a three-run seventh inning where McDonald secured an RBI sacrifice fly and Perez added two more runs batted in on a double.
McDonald went 2-for-4 with a single, triple, RBI, run scored and a strikeout.
Perez had a 2-for-4 night with a double, home run, four RBIs, a run scored and a strikeout.
His 83 RBIs are first on the Aviators.
Friday, L, 8-4
After falling behind early, Las Vegas couldn’t rebound and ended up losing 8-4 to Sacramento Friday night.
The Aviators could only muster one hit through the first three innings.
But back-to-back solo shots in the bottom of the third for the River Cats opened the scoring, 2-0.
Pitcher Brady Feigl (1-1) suffered his first loss of the season in his first rough outing of the year.
Feigl pitched 3.1 innings, giving up six runs on seven hits to go along with three strikeouts and a walk.
Three more Sacramento runs in the fourth followed with another coming in the sixth.
Las Vegas was scoreless until the seventh inning when catcher Aramis Garcia hit a two-run home run, his second of the year.
Garcia went 1-for-4 with a home run, two RBI, a run scored and a strikeout.
Center fielder Mickey McDonald went 0-for-4 with a strikeout but tallied an RBI on a sac fly.
Third baseman Vimael Machîn hit a solo home run in the eighth inning during his 1-for-4 night with a home run, RBI, run scored and a strikeout.
Saturday, L, 9-2
The Aviators scored early but not often enough in the team’s 9-2 loss to the River Cats Saturday night.
Las Vegas scored in the first inning on a two-run home run by first baseman Carlos Perez, his 30th of the season.
In addition, he knocked in his 84th and 85th RBIs of the year. He leads the team in both home runs and RBIs.
However, it was a big first inning for Sacramento that turned the tide.
Starter Homer Bailey (1-6) pitched three innings, allowing eight runs on 10 hits with five strikeouts to one walk.
That first inning he gave up six runs on six hits including a grand slam.
He allowed another longball in the third inning via the two-run variety.
That third inning home run was part of three straight hits to open that frame.
Bailey has now lost six straight games after opening his time as an Aviator 1-0.
Sunday, L, 6-1
Las Vegas is on another three-game losing streak following a 6-1 Sunday loss to Sacramento amidst multiple mistakes.
Aviators starter A.J. Puk loaded the bases on three straight one-out walks in the bottom of the second inning.
A passed ball by catcher Collin Theroux scored the game’s first run.
Las Vegas scored on some Sacramento mistakes after a walk, hit by pitch and wild pitch scored its only run of the game in the fourth inning.
Before that score, the Aviators fell behind after Puk gave up a solo home run in the bottom of the third.
Puk (2-4) went 2.2 innings pitched, giving up two runs (one earned) on one hit with two strikeouts and three walks.
Three of the next four runs allowed came via home runs.
Reliever Kyle Friedrichs worked five innings, allowing four runs on seven hits despite his game-high seven strikeouts.
Las Vegas was only able to tally five hits during the duration of the game.
Monday, W, 5-2
A three-run win by the Aviators helped halt a three-game losing streak to the River Cats Monday night.
There were no runs either way until the fourth inning when left fielder Luis Barrera hit an RBI single, scoring third baseman Vimael Machîn.
Sacramento tied the game at one in the bottom of the fourth.
Starting pitcher Brian Howard (6-4) retired the game’s first 11 batters in order before allowing that first run.
He allowed another in the fifth inning.
In those five innings of work, Howard yielded two runs on three hits to go along with five strikeouts and two walks.
Las Vegas spotted Howard four runs in the top of the fifth led by a two-run double from first baseman Francisco Peña.
During his outing, Peña went 1-for-4 with that home run, three RBIs and a run scored.
His 73 RBIs are good for second on the team, behind leader Carlos Perez.
Barrera added another RBI on a single later in the game.
He went 2-for-4 with two RBI singles.
Reliever Ben Bracewell got his fifth save of the year after working 1.2 innings, allowing one hit with one strikeout to one walk.
Tuesday, L, 8-4
It wasn’t a good finale for Las Vegas as it lost 8-4 to Sacramento Tuesday night.
The River Cats scored the game’s first four runs, scored in each of the first six innings and led by as much as five runs during their win.
Starting pitcher Parker Dunshee (1-5) pitched three innings, giving up four runs (two earned) on five hits to go along with two strikeouts and a walk.
It was his fourth game started since a three-month IL stint.
Relief pitchers Grant Holmes and Mike Fiers didn’t help matters much after combining to give up four runs (three earned) on hits in 2.2 innings of work.
The pair also walked two and combined for zero strikeouts.
Of the eight runs scored by Sacramento, five were earned after Las Vegas committed four errors.
Right fielder Luis Barrera had a fielding error in the second inning to open the error-filled outing.
In the third inning, third baseman Vimael Machîn committed a throwing error.
Lastly, shortstop Nick Allen allowed runners to reach on errors twice after two separate throwing errors.