First half fury earns Aviators second straight trip to postseason

Even a loss in the series finale couldn’t spoil Las Vegas’ week after the team clinched the first half of the minor league baseball season. Even still, the team took four of six games at home against Round Rock this week.

With the Aviators going to the playoffs for the second straight year, it hopes to capitalize off what they did last season. Last year’s team won the first half as well en route to the Pacific Coast League title before the valiant run was ended in the Triple-A championship game via a walk-off home run.

Now with restored energy, this year’s Las Vegas team went 44-29 during the first half while beating out Sacramento who went 42-30.

The Aviators will open the second half slate with their second 12-game road trip of the year. That journey starts in Sacramento with a six-game series with the River Cats. The new series begins Tuesday, June 23 with first pitch slated for 6:45 p.m.

Tuesday, L, 14-11

It won’t be a three-game win streak for the Aviators following a three-run series opening loss. With the River Cats winning in Oklahoma City, the two teams have flip-flopped the top two spots in the Pacific Coast League standings.

Bad pitching erased good offense in a slugfest of a series opener.

Starting pitcher Jacob Lopez made his first Triple-A start of the season after being sent down following a horrid home start against the New York Yankees. In that contest, he gave up seven runs on five hits in two innings.

During his time with the Athletics this year, he went 4-3 with a 6.75 earned run average in 12 appearances, 10 of them starts.

Round Rock hopped on Lopez quickly with a leadoff triple and RBI single to start the game. Not long after the visitors added another run on a second RBI single followed by a third. That forced a mound visit from pitching coach Paul Abbott before the Express swung for its loudest runs of the inning in the form of a three-run home run.

Round Rock batted around in the first inning which would be half of Lopez’s outing. He’d go two innings, giving up six runs on seven hits with three strikeouts.

Initially, it didn’t get much better from a pitching standpoint. Normally a starter, right-hander Chen Zhong-Ao Zhuang entered the game and would instantly serve up a leadoff homer. An inning later, he opened the fourth with a walk and an RBI double. To that point, the visitors had racked up 10 hits to the Aviators’ zero. Another run would score before the conclusion of the frame.

Before Zhuang exited the game, the Express hit another home run off him. This time around, it went for two runs as the Rangers’ Triple-A affiliate reached 11 runs.

First baseman Joey Meneses did some heavy-lifting as part of his 3-for-5 night including an RBI single in the sixth inning. He actually hit his first triple since 2023 in the fourth inning to drive in the team’s first run of the game on its first hit of the game.

Meneses’ RBI lead in the PCL is continuing to grow after pushing his total to 67 this season.

That fourth inning kept going with an RBI single from third baseman Brett Harris and a three-run dinger from catcher Brian Serven. In total, Las Vegas scored five runs in that fourth inning.

Serven would pop up again in that sixth inning when the Aviators put four more runs on the board. He drove in two runs on a double. Another run would score on an RBI walk by second baseman Darell Hernaiz.

There was a golden opportunity to add more runs to the total in the eighth inning after the bases were loaded with two outs on the board. The aforementioned Meneses would fly out to end the threat.

Round Rock pushed ahead further with another leadoff homer as a counterpunch to open the ninth inning. Additional runs scored on a fielder’s choice and an RBI sacrifice fly.

Those runs were vital after right fielder Jared Dickey and shortstop Drew Swift plated runs on an RBI double and an RBI single.

Wednesday, W, 7-4

Relievers Geoff Hartlieb and CD Pelham provided a safety net for starting pitcher Braden Nett in a Wednesday win from Las Vegas Ballpark. Dingers made the difference as Sacramento won too so the club is still a half game back of the top spot in the PCL with four games left.

Hartlieb stopped some early bleeding and proceeded to go three scoreless innings on the mound with three hits allowed to go along with five strikeouts. He was backed by three more innings from Pelham as he recorded two strikeouts and a walk while not yielding a hit.

En route to the victory, Hartlieb moved to 4-0 while Pelham earned his second hold of the season.

That pair along with reliever Michael Kelly, who earned his seventh save of the year, combined to hold Round Rock without a run for the final seven innings of the game. Moreover, the visitors were held scoreless for eight of the nine innings.

Magnificent pitching by the relievers helped mask a bad start from the aforementioned Nett (1-0, 5.40 ERA) who made his third start of the year in his fifth appearance of the season. It would go on to be his second-shortest outing of the year while leaving the bases loaded as he did in that showing as well.

Nett walked six batters in this one after previously having walked nine total in his first four appearances. He walked the bases loaded to start the second before walking in the Express’ first run of the night.

He’d be lifted from the game when three more runs would score on his ledger on an RBI groundout and a two-run single with Hartlieb on the mound.

Immediately after opposing starter Trey Supak left the game in the fourth inning Las Vegas broke a 4-4 tie. It was a two-run home run from catcher Brian Serven, who has now hit blasts in back-to-back games.

Designated hitter Joey Meneses added to that with a solo homer with one out on the board in the fifth inning. That marked his 10th home run of the year while pushing his RBI total to 70 including a two-run single in the third inning. That latter swing tied the game at four apiece.

Thursday, W, 26-13

A record-breaking performance by the Aviators saw the team set a new franchise record in runs scored with 26 in a 13-run lead over the Express Thursday night. The showing was highlighted by two grand slams in the same inning and it came early in the outing.

Already up 2-0 in the game behind an RBI double by shortstop Darell Hernaiz and an RBI sacrifice fly by first baseman Joey Meneses in the first inning, Las Vegas was just getting started.

With the bases loaded, third baseman Brett Harris struck for the team’s first grand slam of the frame to put his club up 6-0. Teammate Tommy White would follow suit with a four-run blast of his own for a 10-0 advantage for the home team. Both of those game-changing swings came on the first pitch of the at-bat.

Harris tallied six RBI in this one to run his total this week to nine in the first three games of this series. White added six RBI of his own including another longball in the fifth inning to give Las Vegas a 19-6 lead. The duo combined to go 7-for-12 with three singles, a double, three home runs, 12 RBI, six runs scored, a strikeout and a walk.

Heading into the sixth inning, the Aviators’ 21 runs were already tied for a season-high. They would set a new season-high with an RBI sacrifice fly from the aforementioned Serven. That run scored center fielder Cade Marlowe, who went 4-for-6 in the win with two singles, two doubles, three RBI and three runs scored.

Las Vegas loaded the bases four times while batting around or doing better three times.

Right fielder Jared Dickey led off the seventh inning with a single and would come around to score on an error. That would tie the previous franchise-record of 23 runs scored. Second baseman Joshua Kuorda-Grauer scored that record-breaking run after teammate Drew Swift drew a bases loaded walk. Additional runs would score on an RBI fielder’s choice and an RBI single by left fielder Brayan Bulevas.

The aforementioned Hernaiz scored five runs in the win as Las Vegas scored runs in the first seven innings of the contest.

Pitcher Kade Morris is back in the win column after putting in seven innings of work last week with three runs allowed on seven hits coupled with four strikeouts and a walk. Round Rock scored its first runs of the game in the third inning behind a hit-by-pitch, a single and a walk. It was an RBI groundout that opened the scoreboard for the visitors.

In the fourth inning, the Express swung for the fences and added three more runs on a three-run dinger. Another homer would soon come with nobody on and two outs on the board.

Morris has now given up two home runs for the fifth time this season including back-to-back games. Even with that, he earned the win to move to 6-4 after giving up six runs on seven hits in five innings of work with four strikeouts and two walks.

Friday, W, 10-4

Las Vegas is now a game and a half up in the standings on Sacramento as the first half is down to its final 48 hours. The team will get at least a split after its third win this week over Round Rock.

It was a big sixth inning that saw 11 men come to the plate overpowered the Express’ home run swing.

That game-shifting run in the middle of the game saw the Aviators score six runs including a solo homer by designated hitter Tommy White to tie the game at four apiece. White now has three home runs in the last two games.

Soon after, teammate Joey Meneses would give the team the lead on a two-run single. Earlier in the game, he opened the home team’s scoring with a leadoff blast in the second frame before right fielder Jared Dickey gave the team its first lead on a two-run double.

Meneses would later add another run on a double as part of his 4-for-5 night with a single, two doubles, a homer, four RBI, two runs scored and a strikeout.

Pitcher Joey Estes still appears to be bitten by the home run bug as he was hit for three in this one, his most allowed since giving up five on May 23rd. Round Rock hit longballs in the first, third and fourth off Estes all counting for four total runs.

Estes got the no-decision while going 4.2 innings with four runs allowed on five hits with two strikeouts and three walks.

The Express could only muster just one hit after their last home run of the game. Left-handed pitcher Matt Krook (2-2) would go on to earn the win in relief.

Saturday, W, 10-6

Las Vegas clinched a playoff berth for a second straight year after winning the first half yet again. It won the first half after outlasting Sacramento who’s on a three-game losing streak while going on its own four-game win streak.

Despite knowing a playoff spot had been sewn up, the team came back from a four-run deficit before scoring the final eight runs of the game.

First baseman Tommy White started that run with a two-run home run in the bottom of the third inning to cut the Round Rock lead in half. An inning later, the team would inch closer on a one-out solo home run by right fielder Jared Dickey.

The big move of the game came in the fifth inning when the Aviators plated four runs to take the lead for good. The frame opened with a double by third baseman Brett Harris followed by an RBI double by Joey Meneses to tie the game at six apiece. Meneses would score on an RBI single by midgame replacement Brayan Buelvas.

Dickey would strike again when he added two runs on a single to put his team up, 9-6. Later in the game, he’d add an RBI sacrifice fly. In the win, he went 2-for-2 with a single, a homer, four RBI, a run scored and a walk.

Pitcher Luis Morales made his first start since April 24 while being his fourth start in total. In the first inning of this one, he ran into trouble.

An out away from getting out of the frame with a runner on, he walked a batter, gave up an RBI single, walked another batter and coughed up a two-run single. Already in a 3-0 hole, he started the second inning by giving up a leadoff single and an RBI double.

Morales went just 1 ⅔ innings with four runs allowed on five hits with one strikeout and five walks.

After the Express’ lead was slashed in half, newly-acquired Anthony Bash yielded a two-out double followed by a two-run roundtripper. He made his Las Vegas debut after being signed June 19,

Round Rock had one hit over the last five innings while having its final eight batters retired in order.

The Las Vegas reliever trio of Nick Hernandez, Ben Bowden and Michael Kelly combined to go six scoreless innings of two-hit ball with eight strikeouts to their credit. Hernandez got the win to move to 2-1 on the year while Bowden earned his sixth hold of the season.

Sunday, L, 9-5

With not much to worry about having already clinched a postseason berth and a series win, the Aviators lost the finale this week against the Express.

Left-hand pitcher Jacob Lopez was knocked around again after having another chance via second start against Round Rock this week. In the first one, he gave up six runs on seven hits in two innings of work with three strikeouts.

In the game’s opening inning, Lopez walked a batter with two outs then proceeded to give up a single, an RBI double and a two-run single. In the following inning, he’d cough up back-to-back solo home runs with one out as his team fell behind 5-0.

Lopez (0-2, 27.00 ERA) went 1 ⅔ innings with five runs allowed on six hits to go along with two strikeouts and a walk. While only throwing 58 pitches, 42 of those were strikes.

In both the bigs and Triple-A, Lopez hasn’t gone more than two innings since May 24. In that time, he’s made three total starts.

Three of the next four relievers gave up runs during their outing including 31-year old CD Pelham, who went his first 8 1/3 innings of the season without giving up a run. He now has an ERA of 0.77.

Las Vegas runs were hard to come by as the team was limited to three hits through the first five innings of the game. However, the sixth inning opened with back-to-back singles before first baseman Tommy White drove in a run on an RBI groundout for the team’s first run. The team would add another run on a balk in a game that featured three Round Rock balks.

In the ninth inning, left fielder Jared Dickey drove in another run on an RBI double with one out recorded. Immediately after, shortstop Drew Swift added another on an RBI single. Swift would later score on an RBI sacrifice fly by teammate Darell Hernaiz.