Las Vegas surges past Tacoma, taking 4 of 6 from LVBP

Las Vegas put forth another good showing in a six-game home series against Tacoma in what hopefully serves as a get-right week for the first half champs.

The Aviators took four of six games away from the Rainiers this past week from Las Vegas Ballpark.

This season’s Las Vegas team has claimed 14 of the 18 games played against Tacoma this year.

Entering the week, the Rainiers were the best team so far in the second half with an overall record of 27-12. Now, the El Paso Chihuahuas of the San Diego Padres led all Pacific Coast League teams in the second half with a 29-15 record.

Las Vegas is currently nine and a half games back of the second half’s top spot in the PCL. In fact, only three teams are presently over .500 including El Paso, Tacoma and the Sacramento River Cats of the San Francisco Giants organization.

Up next, the Aviators will take on the Albuquerque Isotopes of the Colorado Rockies organization for six games on the road. That series is set to begin Tuesday, Aug. 19 with first pitch slated for 5:35 p.m.

Tuesday, W, 7-6

Emotions were high during a one-run walk-off win for Las Vegas in the series opener from Las Vegas Ballpark Tuesday night. It’s the 11th win in the first 13 games of the regular season series between the Aviators and Rainiers.

Left fielder Cooper Bowman had the swing of the night with an RBI single with one out recorded in the bottom of the 11th inning.

In the frame prior, first baseman Brett Harris tied the game at six apiece with an RBI single of his own. Earlier in the contest, he blasted a two-run home run to give Las Vegas a 5-3 lead.

Harris went 2-for-5 with a single, home run, three RBI and a run scored.

Aviator pitching had to endure two blown saves en route to the win. While the Rainiers didn’t score until the seventh inning, it was able to hold onto some of that energy in order to fight back to tie the game on two separate occasions.

With reliever Gustavo Rodriguez on the mound, Tacoma drilled a two-run homer of its own which marked the first of two blown saves. An inning later, the visitors jumped on fellow reliever Anthony Maldonado to tie the game at five apiece in the ninth.

Maldonado now has three blown saves this season.

Right-hander Carlos Duran (4-0) got the win after giving up a single unearned run on a hit in two innings of work with three strikeouts and three walks.

Pitcher Joey Estes got the start after coming into the game 1-4 in his last six starts. From there, he allowed just one hit through the first 4 ⅓ innings of work.

By the time Estes got the fifth inning, he had encountered three straight innings with a baserunner reaching the basepads. He’d soon have two-on with one out in the frame but a groundout and flyout would get him out of trouble.

Estes’ final stat line included two hits allowed over five innings with four strikeouts recorded to just two walks. He left in line for the win after leaving with a 3-0 lead built on an early home run from second baseman Zack Gelof and RBI singles from third baseman Euribiel Angeles and catcher Daniel Susac.

Wednesday, L, 5-2

Two games into a scheduled six-game series this week from Las Vegas Ballpark and Las Vegas and Tacoma have split both outings. Wednesday’s loss was just the third loss to the Rainiers this season for the Aviators in 14 tries.

Visitor runs in three straight innings picked up enough steam to have Tacoma earn its first win of the week.

In the second inning, things got going with an RBI sacrifice fly but the string of runs began in the fourth frame. In that inning, Tacoma turned a leadoff double into an RBI single to push the lead to 2-0. An inning later, the team led off the fifth with a single which would come around to score on another RBI single.

Another run would come to pass in the sixth inning to maintain the three-run lead. It happened again in the eighth inning on an RBI double with two outs to make it, 5-2, Rainiers.

While Tacoma was getting it together offensively, Las Vegas had its first 12 batters retired in order to start the game.

The Aviators produced runs in back-to-back innings but it wasn’t nearly enough to catch up to the more consistent Rainiers. Second baseman Zack Gelof was the team’s first baserunner of the game after a leadoff walk in the bottom of the fifth inning. Gelof would be pushed across the plate on an RBI double from shortstop Drew Swift.

Left fielder Nick Martini scored the final run of the game for Las Vegas on a solo home run with one out tallied in the home half of the sixth inning.

Thursday, W, 7-6

With both teams sitting at 66-50 on the year, Las Vegas took the edge in a scheduled six-game series with Tacoma this week on 90’s Night from LVBP. It was a come-from-behind victory for the Aviators after falling behind 6-1, the team needed six straight runs to secure the win.

Las Vegas powered itself back into the game and it began with a loud leadoff home run from left fielder Alejo Lopez to start the bottom of the seventh inning. Another run would score in the frame on a fielder’s choice which forced a pitching change on the mound.

In the eighth inning, the Aviators opened with a single, walk and double steal. A run scored on an RBI single from young right fielder Henry Bolte. Center fielder Junior Perez had the biggest boom of the eighth on a three-run homer on a 3-2 count with one out in the frame.

That swing gave Las Vegas its first lead since the third inning.

Second baseman Zack Gelof was the lone Aviator to have success against Tacoma starter Jhonathan Diaz. The former short-stint big leaguer mixed in pitches with speeds ranging from 51 miles per hour to 87 MPH while allowing just four hits in his six innings of action.

Gelof jumped on the lefty early with a solo dinger in the first inning with two outs on the board. He went 2-for-2 with a single, homer, RBI, two runs scored and two walks. He has homered in two of the first three games of the series.

Starting pitcher Kade Morris had troubles of his own on the mound, some stemming from his own issues. The youngster endured three pitch violations during his five-inning outing where he gave up five runs on seven hits with four strikeouts and a walk.

Las Vegas lost its early 1-0 lead in the third inning when Morris was hit the hardest for three total runs. He also coughed up a leadoff homer in the fourth inning, something Tacoma did again in the sixth off reliever David Leal.

Reliever Jack Cushing improved to 9-1 with the win while fellow reliever Anthony Maldonado picked up his eighth save of the season. The tandem combined to work two scoreless innings with three strikeouts compiled.

Friday, W, 10-9

Three straight wins for the Aviators and now a series split is already secured ahead of the pair of weekend games against the Rainiers. All of the Las Vegas wins have come by a single run including Friday’s walk-off win as the sleeveless Zack Gelof continued to play hero for the ball club.

Gelof launched a two-run home after a leadoff double from teammate Nick Martini to give the Aviators their first lead since the fourth inning. In fact, Gelof was responsible for that early lead as well after blasting his first two-run dinger of the night.

Gelof has now homered in back-to-back games while racking up four homers in as many games. In this one, he went 2-for-5 with two big blasts, four RBI, two runs scored and a strikeout.

Gelof’s dinger was the final installment of a complete comeback effort for Las Vegas, all starting in the eighth inning. Pinch-hitter Colby Halter smacked a two-run double into the outfield after replacing catcher Nick Schwartz.

While playing defense, Schwartz had Tacoma steal 11 bases off him without catching a single one of them.

First baseman Cooper Bowman followed up Halter’s swing with a two-run longball to climb within a run of tying the Rainiers.

Starter Mason Barnett was gone before the end of the fourth inning after giving up an RBI groundout in the second inning and giving up an RBI single coupled with a two-run single in the fourth.

Barnett left the mound after issuing a two-out walk but would have two additional runs added on after another two-run single in the frame. He went 3 ⅔ innings on the mound with six runs allowed on five hits to go along with five strikeouts and four walks.

Reliever Eduarniel Nunez (3-0) earned his first win in an Aviator uniform in his third appearance with the team. In this one he went two full frames with one run surrendered on a hit with three strikeouts and a walk.

Nunez was acquired in the trade deadline deal between the Athletics and San Diego Padres centered around former Green and Gold pitcher JP Sears and Mason Miller.

Saturday, L, 15-8

The final difference of seven runs in Saturday’s loss for the Aviators came after the team gave up seven unanswered runs to the visiting Rainiers. Las Vegas will have another chance for the series win on Sunday.

Reliever Gustavo Rodriguez found himself in trouble in the sixth inning after loading the bases before tallying the first out of the frame. Four total runs would cross on an RBI groundout and a three-run homer.

Fellow reliever Scott McGough tried his hand in the seventh inning only to give up two more runs of his own on an RBI triple and another RBI groundout. Tacoma opened the eighth inning with back-to-back singles before an RBI single plated a seventh straight run.

Starting pitcher Ken Waldichuk got worked out again in his latest start as he continues to work his way back from Tommy John Surgery. An error at first base in the first inning allowed the game’s first run to come to pass. The Rainiers would lead 2-0 by the end of the frame.

As presently constructed, the Aviators do not have an official first baseman on their roster.

Waldi would be taken out of the game completely in the second inning after another rough start. He gave up a two-run single before being replaced by right-hander Jack Cushing, who entered 3-0 against Tacoma this season.

Even the change couldn’t prevent a four-run third inning for the visitors which was highlighted by a three-run home run and second pitching change in the first third of the game.

Waldichuk went just 1 ⅔ innings with four runs allowed (two earned) on five hits with two strikeouts and two walks.

Las Vegas tried to make things interesting as much as it could. It had a three-run second inning to tie the game at four apiece. Designated hitter Colby Halter drove in the first run of the frame for the home team on an RBI double. Catcher Daniel Susac joined in on the action with a two-run single, which tied the game.

Even after falling behind, 8-4, third baseman Drew Swift and second baseman Zack Gelof did their best at a comeback effort with an RBI single and solo home run respectively.

Halter and Swift would show up again for the team in the fifth inning with a one-out RBI double and two-out RBI single respectively to tie the game, 8-8. Halter and Swift combined to go 4-for-8 with two singles, two doubles, four RBI, two runs scored, a stolen base and three strikeouts.

Sunday, W, 12-7

So many home runs to go around as Las Vegas locked up a series win with its fourth win of the week over Tacoma.

As he has all week long, second baseman Zack Gelof let the power show in the form of a solo home run in the bottom of the second to open the game’s scoring. He later homered again as part of seven big blasts in this series. He’s homered in four straight games and tallied six over the last four days.

Gelof went 2-for-4 with two home runs, four RBI, three runs scored, a walk and a strikeout.

Third baseman Colby Halter and center fielder Junior Perez both launched solo home runs in the win while catcher Daniel Susac hit a two-run longball two batters after Perez’s seventh inning moonshot.

The bottom third of the Aviator lineup produced six total RBI, two runs and a stolen base on four singles, a homer, a hit-by-pitch and three strikeouts. Shortstop Euribiel Angeles compiled a pair of RBI singles while right fielder Henry Bolte plated two runs on just one single.

Pitcher Joey Estes made his second start of the week while making a third straight appearance without a win. He found himself in a kerfuffle after hitting rehabber Victor Robles for a second time in the first three innings. Robles was never awarded a base after swinging at both pitches.

After the latter of the two hit-by-pitches, Robles launched his bat toward the mound before attempting to charge at Estes. Even after being restrained and heading into the dugout, Robles catapulted a case of gum and sunflower seeds onto the field near the third base foul line.

Robles would be tossed after inducing the benches-clearing mishap.

Estes would settle in from there and hit the five-inning pitched mark for the 10th time this season. He’d further that by completing six innings for the sixth time this season.

By the end of his outing, Estes gave up one run on five hits in six innings of work to go along with four strikeouts and a walk. With the win, he is now 4-4 this year.