Las Vegas seizes 5-win week after worst stretch of season

Las Vegas started the week fast and it resulted in a much-needed five-win week for the franchise.

Most recently, the Aviators won five of six games on the road against the Albuquerque Isotopes of the Colorado Rockies organization. That marked the club’s first series win in about a month with its last one coming in late July.

As a result, the team is now 27-24 in the second half while sitting seven games behind the Pacific Coast League-leaders. At the present moment, the Sugar Land Space Cowboys of the Houston Astros organization lead all PCL teams with a 34-17 record in the second half.

Up next, Las Vegas will host Sugar Land for the first time this season with a six-game series that is set to begin Tuesday, Aug. 25 from Las Vegas Ballpark. First pitch of that first contest is set for 7:05 p.m.

Tuesday, W, 5-3

First baseman Joey Meneses was integral in the team’s series-opening win over Albuquerque.

Meneses launched a two-run home run in the sixth inning to give Las Vegas its first lead of the game. Two innings later, he began the eighth after reaching base on an error. He’d soon come around to score on a double play.

Pitcher Dallas Keuchel continued his more successful stretch away from the friendly confines of Las Vegas Ballpark. Entering this one, he sported a 2.70 earned run average on the road versus a 12.71 ERA at home.

Things started rocky for the former Cy Young Award winner when he started the first inning with a walk followed by a hit batter. He’d get out of danger with a force out and back-to-back strikeouts.

An inning later, Keuchel walked the leadoff man but would induce a double play and a strikeout to once again avert trouble. His three strikeouts through the first two innings of the game tied a season-high for the 38-year-old. The night was far from over for him after he hit another batter in the third inning and induced a second double play in the fourth frame.

The Isotopes opened the fifth inning with a single coupled with a stolen base followed by an RBI single to open the scoreboard for either side in this one. Not long after, Keuchel would be lifted after allowing a two-run double with one out recorded.

Keuchel went a season-high 4 ⅓ innings on the mound, with three runs allowed on four hits to go along with five strikeouts and three walks.

Las Vegas’ bullpen retired the last seven Albuquerque batters of the game despite the home team loading the bases in the seventh inning. Reliever James Gonzalez (5-2) got his third win in the last nine outings after working 2 ⅓ scoreless innings of one-hit ball with a strikeout and two walks.

Fellow relievers Ben Bowden and Geoff Hartlieb earned their ninth hold and second save respectively.

Wednesday, W, 12-8

Make that back-to-back wins for the Aviators as they started fast and finished fast in a, 12-8, win over the Isotopes. Pitcher Matt Sauer was thumped again as manager Fran Riordan and company used six arms in order to secure the win.

Second baseman Justin Riemer tallied his first Triple-A hit in the third inning on a one-out RBI single which counted as his first at-bat at the level. In the win, he went 3-for-5 with three singles, an RBI and two runs scored.

Riemer’s first single was followed by another single from designated hitter Denzel Clarke as part of his rehab game. Everybody would soon come around to score on a three-run homer by right fielder Jared Dickey.

Catcher Cole Conn tied the game at four apiece in the fourth inning on an RBI single. The aforementioned Clarke plated another run on an RBI single of his own this time with two outs. Clarke went 2-for-3 with two singles, an RBI and a run scored.

Conn blasted a leadoff home run in the sixth inning to break another tie as part of his 3-for-5 night with a single, double and homer, two RBI and three runs scored. His final run scored of the contest came in the ninth inning after he led off the frame with a double before being driven in by Riemer.

Designated hitter Luke Mann pinch-hit for Clarke in the sixth inning and proceeded to smack a two-run home run while facing a 3-2 count.

Las Vegas got additional runs from left fielder Colby Halter and first baseman Joey Meneses on another two-run dinger and another RBI single. In total, five players recorded two or more hits while seven tallied at least one RBI.

Sauer had a third straight start soured and by the second inning of this one, things were beginning to turn. He offered up a solo home run with one out on the board in the frame. He has now given up three homers in his last two starts.

Former Aviator Drew Avans added another run with an RBI double in the same inning.

In the home half of the third inning, Sauer started with four straight walks to tie the game 3-3. Relief pitcher Jake Garland entered and would give up an RBI sacrifice fly that would be charged to the former pitcher.

Sauer avoided the loss but gave up four runs on four hits in two-plus innings of work coupled with three strikeouts and four walks.

It was a second straight pick-me-up game for the Aviator bullpen. Garland later picked up his first Triple-A win as a result of the 20-run game combined between the two clubs.

Garland gave up that lone unearned run on three hits in three innings of work with two strikeouts and two walks.

Thursday, W, 10-7 F/11 innings

Las Vegas has three straight victories to its credit, all of which have come against Albuquerque this week. As a result, the team will get at least a split of the current series after scoring in the final three innings of this most recent game.

The Aviators were two strikes away from a loss when left fielder Colby Halter faced a 0-1 count and proceeded to keep things going with a single. He’d be followed by another single from shortstop Drew Swift ahead of a two-run double by right fielder Jared Dickey to tie the game at six apiece.

Dickey went 3-for-4 with a single, two doubles, two RBI, two runs scored, a strikeout and two walks.

In the 10th inning, Las Vegas scored a run on a fielder’s choice error. That run was scored by designated hitter Joey Meneses. Earlier in the contest, he reached triple-digit RBIs with a two-run single in the sixth inning.

The team would have the effort matched by Albuquerque in the bottom half of the 10th to tie the game at seven apiece. Las Vegas put things out of reach for good in the 11th inning behind a two-run triple by center fielder Brayan Buelvas, who would later score on a wild pitch.

Both teams combined to go 8-for-35 with runners in scoring position while leaving 24 men on base. Additionally, four different pitchers were saddled with blown saves.

It wasn’t perfect for the pitchers after lefty Ryan Magdic made his sixth appearance for the franchise. He pitched into the fifth inning or later four times this season despite going just three innings in his last outing.

Magdic opened his showing with a single paired with a stolen base before a one-out flyout brought across a run. Two innings later, Las Vegas fell behind by two after a leadoff homer from the home team.

The starter would be done by the sixth inning after the frame opened with the leadoff man reaching on an error only to be followed by a single and another error. He left the mound after pitching five-plus innings with four runs allowed (two earned) on seven hits with four strikeouts versus zero walks.

Relief pitcher Andrew Bash (2-1) got the win after working two scoreless innings on a single hit with three strikeouts and a walk.

Friday, W, 6-4

Las Vegas now has four straight wins this week on the road in Albuquerque so the series is already technically won for the first half champions before the weekend officially begins. It was a four-run ninth inning that helped the Aviators get the win.

That ninth inning started with three consecutive singles including an RBI single by third baseman Luke Mann to tie the game at three apiece. Soon after, first baseman Joey Meneses gave the team its first lead of the game on an RBI sacrifice fly only to have additional runs come across to score on an RBI single by right fielder Brayan Buelvas while the other occurred on an error.

Only a single Isotopes run came across the plate in the final 6 ⅔ innings of the game, all of which were handled by Aviator relief pitching.

Albuquerque scored a run in the ninth inning on a two-out RBI single off reliever Gustavo Rodriguez but he went on to secure his second save of the season. Fellow relief pitcher Seth Johnson (1-0) earned his first Triple-A win in the Pacific Coast League.

Left-hander James Gonzalez made his first Triple-A start of 2026 and would find himself in the fire early. The Isotopes opened the game with back-to-back singles before scoring their first run on a wild pitch.

Third baseman Colby Halter tied the game at one apiece in the second inning.

Gonzalez put the team behind the eight-ball again in the bottom half of the second with an RBI single and an RBI double. Both hits came with two outs tallied in the frame.

Gonzalez gave up three runs on six hits with two strikeouts and a walk in 2 ⅓ innings on the mound.

Saturday, L, 14-4

Las Vegas endured its first loss of this week’s series with Albuquerque, effectively ending the team’s four-game win streak. Starter Joey Estes was rocked hard and things didn’t get much better after that.

Estes made his first start for the Aviators since July 11. At the time, he was dealing with three consecutive no-decisions. He’d be dealing with a little more following this one.

After retiring the first five batters of the game, the Isotopes recorded back-to-back two-out doubles as the latter one drove in a run. That would be followed by a two-run homer by the home team.

In the losing effort, Estes (3-7, 6.78 ERA) coughed up three runs on three hits with a walk in 1 ⅔ innings of work.

Things didn’t get much better for the bullpen beginning with seven-run fourth inning with reliever Matt Sauer on the mound for a good portion of it. Fellow reliever Domingo Robles also pitched during the frame. In fact, he gave up a three-run longball on the second pitch he hurled toward the plate.

Even in the loss, Las Vegas pumped out more ninth inning production. This time it was a pair of RBI singles from outfielders Colby Halter and Jared Dickey. The team has scored six total runs over the last two outings.

Earlier runs were scored in the fifth inning on an RBI walk by designated hitter Denzel Clarke and another RBI single from Dickey, who went 2-for-5 with two singles, two RBI and a strikeout.

Sunday, W, 10-8

Following a victory in the series finale, the Aviators put the final touches on a 5-1 series win this week over the Isotopes. The offense jumped early with all of the team’s 10 runs coming in the first six innings of the contest.

Designated hitter Johnathan Rodriguez recorded his first RBI with Las Vegas with a one-out RBI double in the first inning. Not long after, catcher Cole Conn drove in two more runs on a double as eight men came to the plate in the opening frame.

In the second inning, center fielder Denzel Clarke blasted a two-run homer as Las Vegas went up, 5-2. It’s his second home run of the year and his first outside of Single-A. In Triple-A this year, he is batting .467.

The Aviators had to pull away again after not only the game was tied at five apiece, but trailing by two runs.

Shortstop Drew Swift tied the game at seven on a two-run home run of his own. An inning later Conn reappeared, this time for an RBI single with one out to regain the lead for the reigning PCL champs.

Conn went 3-for-5 with two singles, a double, three RBI and two runs scored.

That sixth inning would be capped by an RBI sacrifice fly from Swift as he went 1-for-2 with a homer, three RBI, a sun scored, a strikeout and a walk in the win.

Third baseman Davis Diaz recorded his first Triple-A RBI of his career with an RBi single in the sixth inning.

Pitcher Mason Barnett made his return to the club after not registering a Triple-A start since July 18. Moreover, his last win at the level dates back to mid-April.

Barnett’s half of the first inning started with a walk, a batter who reached on an error followed by an RBI single ahead of an RBI groundout.

Albuquerque got the Barnett best in the fourth inning beginning with a leadoff homer to give the home team its first and only lead. He’d be pulled from the mound after a solo home run with two outs on the board.

Barnett coughed up seven runs (five earned) on eight hits with two walks in 3 ⅔ innings on the bump. Relief pitcher Jake Garland (2-0) got his second win of the week after pitching 3 ⅓ scoreless innings of one-hit ball with three strikeouts and a walk to his credit.

Fellow relievers Luis Morales and Geoff Hartlieb tallied a hold and a save in the outing. Hartlieb now has three saves on the year.