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While the Las Vegas Aviators went 5-1 against the El Paso Chihuahuas on this homestand, it was a wild week in the Oakland Athletics organization from top-to-bottom.
At the beginning of the week, first baseman Frank Schwindel was a part of the big league roster but had been optioned down to Triple-A.
Shortly after he was designated for assignment before being claimed by the Chicago Cubs on Sunday, July 18.
On the field, the team improved it’s home record to 19-17 ahead of the it’s road series against the Salt Lake.
Currently, the Aviators (34-32) are in third place in the Western Division of the Triple-A West, while Salt Lake (32-34) sit two games behind in fourth place.
In other news, this week the City of Oakland voted on a new stadium proposal for the Athletics.
Only one catch, the A’s front office never agreed to the terms being voted on.
That said, the A’s have been open in their increasing displeasure with the City of Oakland and have continued to explore their options to relocate.
Southern Nevada continues to be a potential attraction for the American League West team.
Thursday, W, 5-1
It was another masterful performance for starter Daulton Jefferies who got the win on a night where Las Vegas downed El Paso, 5-1.
Jefferies allowed the game’s only run in the first inning on an RBI double by the Chihuahuas Taylor Kohlwey.
After that he would settle in and retire the next 16 batters he faced.
He didn’t have a three-ball count until he issued his first walk to open the eighth inning.
Jefferies went seven plus, allowing one run on three hits while striking out three and walking one.
Four of the five Las Vegas runs came off home runs beginning with a two-run moonshot by third baseman Vimael Machîn in the second inning.
Center fielder and reigning player of the week Cody Thomas hit two home runs en route to a 2-for-3 night with a walk and a strikeout.
Thomas was also named player of the month for June.
Right fielder Greg Deichmann drove home the last run of the game with an RBI single in the seventh inning.
Catcher Austin Allen went 1-for-3 with a single, a walk and two strikeouts in his first meeting against his former team but he did get his 13th win behind the plate, the most of any catcher on the Vegas roster this season.
Friday, W, 9-5 One night after center fielder Cody Thomas hit two home runs in an Aviators win, it was catcher Carlos Perez’s turn.
Perez hit two home runs amidst a 2-for-5 night, recording three RBI and two runs scored along the way.
Over the last eight games, he has hit seven home runs.
Thomas, right fielder Greg Deichmann and first baseman Francisco Peña accounted for the other RBIs on the night.
Thomas opened the scoring with an RBI single in the first inning while Deichmann smacked an RBI double in the fifth inning.
However, the game still needed late-game heroics off-the-bat of Peña who doubled in a run in the bottom of the eighth inning after El Paso had tied the game at five in the top frame.
Pitcher Homer Bailey made his first start of the year for Las Vegas after being added to the roster earlier in the day.
First baseman Frank Schwindel was designated for assignment in order to make room for Bailey on the roster.
Bailey went four innings, allowing two runs on four hits while striking out four and walking none.
Reliever James Naile (5-0) was credited with the win after pitching ⅔ of the eighth inning, surrendering just one hit.
Saturday, W, 12-2
It took three games but catcher Austin Allen finally found his swing against his former team.
Allen went 3-for-5 with a home run, three RBI and two runs scored in the Aviators 12-2 win over the Chihuahuas.
Prior to that, he was 1-for-7 to start the series.
Allen was one of four Las Vegas players to record at least two RBI.
Left fielder Marty Bechina, shortstop Pete Kozma and second baseman Nate Mondou were the others.
Starting pitcher Miguel Romero (1-3) got his first win of the year after going five full innings, allowing one run on six hits while striking out two and walking one.
Romero was moved into the starting rotation back in mid-June.
The win runs the streak to three straight for the Aviators as the team moves into sole possession of third place with a 32-31 record.
In addition, the win moves the team past .500 at Las Vegas Ballpark.
Sunday, L, 3-2
Las Vegas was five outs away from securing its first shutout of the season only to have things change drastically in a matter of moments.
The Aviators lost, 3-2, to the Chihuahuas after dominating the vast majority of the game.
The game was intact until the eighth inning when El Paso’s Nick Tanielu hit a two-run home run to give his team the lead for the first time in the game.
The Chihuahuas didn’t record it’s second hit until the seventh inning after capturing their first in the first inning.
Reliever Grant Holmes gave up the game-changing home run, ruining a brilliant outing for starting pitcher Paul Blackburn, who allowed just one run in five innings of work while striking out six and walking two.
Through the first 4 ⅓ of the game, Blackburn had faced the minimum but ended up with the no decision.
Holmes (1-2) was given the loss after being charged with all three eighth inning runs for El Paso.
Right fielder Greg Deichmann scored the team’s only run of the game after walking and coming around to score on a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the first inning.
First baseman Carlos Perez was the last out of the game when he grounded out to third, bringing an end to the team’s three-game win streak.
Center fielder Skye Bolt, representing the tying run, was stranded at second.
After the first inning, the Aviators scattered five hits over the next seven innings.
Monday, W, 7-4
Four of the nine Las Vegas hits went for extra-bases in the team’s 7-4 win over El Paso.
All of the Aviator runs were scored in the first third of the game including a big six-run first inning.
The six-run opening frame was highlighted by a grand slam from third baseman Vimael Machîn to put the team up 6-0.
Machîn also hit a solo shot in the third inning to push the lead to seven runs.
It was the second time he’s hit multiple home runs in a game.
He went 2-for-4 with a game-high five RBI with two runs scored and a strikeout.
Starting pitcher Jesus Luzardo went six full allowing two runs (one earned) on two hits while striking out seven and walking two in the process.
Reliever James Naile got the win after pitching ⅓ of an inning and improved to 5-0 on the year.
Closer Domingo Acevedo got his 6th save of the year.
Tuesday, W, 4-3
The home success continued for the Aviators as they beat the Chihuahuas, 4-3, in extra innings in the team’s series finale.
Another extra inning win for Las Vegas means the team is 6-0 in such games this season.
It was an RBI single off the bat of first baseman Francisco Peña to drive in shortstop Pete Kozma that ended the game.
Peña finished the night 2-for-5 with an RBI and two strikeouts after opening the game 0-for-3.
It was a slow start to this one for the Aviators, one night after scoring six runs in the first inning.
This time around the team’s first hit and run did not come until the third inning.
Three players including Peña recorded two hits on the night.
Las Vegas was retired in order in five of the 10 innings.
Starter Daulton Jefferies pitched six innings allowing two runs on seven hits while striking out nine and walking none.
He was cruising to start the game, allowing a lone hit in each of the first three innings before allowing back-to-back solo home runs to open the fourth inning.
One night after collecting his fifth win of the season, reliever James Naile added another after pitching an inning.
He allowed one run, though unearned, on one hit in addition to striking out one.