First-half champion Aviators start second half with 4th series of at least 5 wins

Las Vegas has started its second half of the Minor League Baseball season with its fourth series win of at least five victories. The final three wins of the series came in one-run finishes.

In summary, the Aviators took five of six away from the Albuquerque Isotopes of the Colorado Rockies organization. As a result, the team starts the second half slate with a 5-1 overall record which is the best in the Pacific Coast League along with the El Paso Chihuahuas of the San Diego Padres organization.

This start comes after Las Vegas has already claimed the first half and will participate in its first postseason since 2019.

The nine-game homestand for the Aviators will continue next week with a three-game home series with Oklahoma City before returning the favor by playing three games in the Comets’ home ballpark to end the holiday weekend.

The first half of the home-and-home series is set to begin Tuesday, July 1 at Las Vegas Ballpark with first pitch slated for just after 7 p.m.

Oklahoma City is responsible for the lone series loss of the first half for Las Vegas.

Tuesday, L, 11-6

Despite clinching the playoffs already, the second half for Las Vegas began the same way the first half ended, with a loss. The team has now dropped three straight games.

Pitcher Aaron Brooks made his first home start of the season and his first since June 16th of last year. Albuquerque jumped all over him in the first inning with a two-run homer and solo home run to two of the first five batters faced.

Another run would come across to score after a walk, stolen base and an RBI single to run the visitors’ lead to 4-0.

Two innings later, Brooks gave up two more runs on an RBI triple and RBI sacrifice fly to extend the lead to, 6-1. He left the game after working four innings with six runs allowed on five hits with two strikeouts and two walks. In addition, he’d be saddled with the loss to fall to 1-1 with a 6.30 earned run average.

The Aviator bullpen entered and began dominating right away. At one point, the team retired nine straight with three coming with reliever Carlos Duran on the mound. In the sixth inning, fellow reliever Tanner Dodson opened with back-to-back walks with both eventually scoring on a two-run double.

Right-hander Gustavo Rodriguez entered in the same frame and would offer up another run-producing hit via a two-run single with two outs as 10 Isotopes came to the plate in the inning.

Albuquerque muscled out seven walks on the night with five coming across to score.

Las Vegas was able to find life late in the loss but began fighting back against an early 4-0 deficit in the second inning. Designated hitter Carlos Cortes plated the team’s first run on an RBI single.

Two innings later, shortstop Darell Hernaiz drove in another run on another RBI single. Both runs were scored by right fielder Colby Thomas, who went 2-for-3 with a single, double, two runs scored, a walk and a strikeout.

The next four runs came in the seventh and eighth innings beginning with an RBI single from catcher Daniel Susac to drive in third baseman Brett Harris on his birthday. Harris tallied an RBI of his own in the eighth.

Susac would later add his second run-producing hit in the eighth inning ahead of a third straight run-producing hit by teammate Alejo Lopez, though his went down as a double.

Wednesday, W, 13-2

The Aviators pinned down their first win of the series and subsequently their first win of the second half of the MiLB season. That win ends a three-game losing streak as the team reaches 50 total wins on the season.

Pitcher Kade Morris went another seven innings strong after recording a complete game in his last outing. Through the first three innings of this one, he had faced the minimum.

At one point of the game, he retired 10 straight batters before offering up a two-out single in the fourth inning. Soon after, the Isotopes would grab their first run on an RBI double on the heels of a walk.

He gave up a run on four hits in seven innings of work with four strikeouts and a walk while retiring 10 of the last 12 batters he faced.

Eight combined runs in the third and fourth innings provided more than enough cushion in this blowout win for the home team.

Left fielder Carlos Cortes had a loud start to the game with a grand slam in the bottom of the third inning. He has four homers since June 10 (14 games). In this one, he went 4-for-4 with two singles, a double, a home run, five RBI, two runs scored and a walk.

As a team, Las Vegas batted around in the third inning with another run scoring on an RBI double from first baseman Logan Davidson to increase the lead to 5-0.

Three more runs scored in the bottom half of the fourth on a three-run double from center fielder Colby Thomas. At that point, the team led by seven on the way to ultimately leading by as many as 12 runs.

Thursday, W, 14-11

Even during a rehab stint, catcher Shea Langeliers had his fingerprints all over the Aviators’ second straight win over the Isotopes. The team had such a big lead it was able to withstand six runs in the final three innings.

Langeliers gave Las Vegas its first lead of the game in the second inning on an RBI single to go up 4-3. Later in the game, he blasted a two-run home run to extend the lead to 13-6. Teammate Carlos Cortes followed that up with a solo shot for back-to-back dingers.

In two rehab games, Langeliers has racked up five hits in eight at-bats with a homer, three RBI, four runs scored and two strikeouts.

The aforementioned Cortes has had an even hotter series with a 9-for-13-mark through the first three games. He has five singles, two doubles, two homers, 8 RBI, four runs scored, two walks and three strikeouts. In addition, he’s compiled a whopping 17 total bases.

First baseman Brennan Milone had his best outing as an Aviator, finishing a home run-shy of the cycle. He went 3-for-3 with a single, double, triple, four runs scored and a walk.

The first of the six runs that were scored late by Albuquerque started with a solo home run with one out in the seventh off reliever Scott McGough. In the next inning, the visitors added a two-run shot off fellow reliever Justin Sterner.

In the ninth inning, the Isotopes loaded the bases with nobody out against left-hander Ben Bowden. All three would come across to score on an RBI sacrifice fly and a two-run double.

Righty reliever Anthony Maldonado had to enter the game and still faced shaky ground. With him on the mound a wild pitch and walk would provide more angst before a strikeout and fielder’s choice shut the door for good.

McGough got the win in the end while Maldonado recorded his fifth save of the season.

Starting pitcher Mason Barnett worked 4 ⅓ innings with five runs surrendered on eight hits to go along with seven strikeouts and a walk.

Friday, W, 7-6

The offense stayed consistent for Las Vegas in the team’s one-run victory over Albuquerque as the club picked up a third straight win. With the victory, the first-half champions have already secured at least a series split this week.

Left fielder Carlos Cortes just continued coasting this month with another big game as part of this series. The third inning opened with back-to-back doubles with the second coming off the bat of Cortes to put his team up 3-2. He’d later score on an RBI groundout by third baseman Brett Harris.

An inning later, Cortes went yard for two runs as part of his 2-for-4 night with a double, homer, three RBI, two runs scored and a strikeout. In his last 15 games, he has gone 27-for-65 (.415), nine doubles, six home runs and 26 RBI. Moreover, he now has a three-game home run streak.

Aside from Cortes, the Aviator offense was still very solid. The home half of the first began with a leadoff homer by second baseman Zack Gelof. In that same frame, first baseman Logan Davidson added another run on an RBI single with two outs.

Gelof and shortstop Darell Hernaiz both recorded three-hit nights in the one and two spots in manager Fran Riordan’s lineup. The duo combined to go 6-for-9 with four singles, a double, a homer, two RBI, four runs, a walk and a strikeout.

While pitcher Joey Estes is just 2-0 this season, Las Vegas entered this one 6-1 in games started by him. In addition to sitting without a loss on the year, he has earned his 2-0 record in his last eight outings with seven of them coming in starts.

The first Albuquerque run to score on Estes came across on a double play in the second inning. An inning later, the visitors tied the game at two on a leadoff home run.

Once again the game was tied in the fourth inning, this time at four apiece following a rare two-run sacrifice fly. While already up three in the fifth inning, Estes gave up his second solo shot of the night before leaving the mound for good.

He went 4.2 innings with five runs allowed on seven hits with five strikeouts versus zero walks. Reliever Luis Morales got the win to improve to 4-2 on the year.

Saturday, W, 8-7

Las Vegas has clinched a series win ahead of the Sunday series finale following a second-straight one-run victory over Albuquerque. It was rehab faces galore as the club picked up a fourth straight win.

The Athletics tandem of designated hitter Zack Gelof and catcher Shea Langeliers dominated at the No. 1 and No. 2 spots in the lineup during their respective rehab stints. Both reached in the first inning on a walk and single before Gelof was plated on an RBI sacrifice fly by left fielder Carlos Cortes.

Gelof would give the team its final lead of the game in the bottom of the seventh albeit on a double play swing. Earlier in the game he reached via a one-out double in the fourth inning before being driven in on an RBI groundout by Langeliers.

The duo combined to score four runs while driving in one while going 4-for-8 in the batter’s box.

Fellow rehabber Ken Wadichuk made the start for the Aviators. He allowed two runs on one hit after walking two in 2.1 innings on the mound. Both of those walks accounted for the runs he gave up.

Reliever Osvaldo Bido picked up the win out of the bullpen. Fellow reliever David Leal earned his first save of the season in 6-out fashion while giving up a run on two hits with a strikeout and two walks.

Las Vegas would add an insurance run in the eighth inning off the bat of right fielder Nick Martini with two outs tallied in the frame.

Even with that late run, the game began with a lot of production from second baseman Logan Davidson. He drove in a run on an RBI single in the first inning while adding a two-run homer in the third inning.

Davidson went 2-for-4 with a single, homer, three RBI, two runs scored, two strikeouts and a walk.

After Albuquerque tied the game at five in the fifth inning off Bido, shortstop Darell Hernaiz put the home team back on top with an RBI single with two out in the sixth.

Sunday, W, 5-4

Three straight one-run victories for Las Vegas to close a six-game series against Albuquerque. By doing so, the team picks up a fifth straight win while also collecting its fourth series of at least five wins this season.

With a red-hot bat, left fielder Carlos Cortes cranked the game-winning home run in the eighth inning in leadoff fashion. That marked his 15th hit in his last 26 at-bats.

In June, Cortes batted .369 with 14 doubles, eight homers to go along with a whopping 36 RBI.

In totality, the Aviators powered out four home runs in the win. Three of the four dingers came in the fourth inning.

Shortstop Logan Davidson and third baseman Brett Harris went back-to-back with one out recorded in the fourth frame. Two batters later, designated hitter Brennan Milone launched his first no-doubter of the season for two more runs.

Milone’s homer was the first of his Triple-A career.

Veteran pitcher Aaron Brooks made his second start of the season after taking the loss Tuesday night behind six runs allowed on five hits in four innings of work with two strikeouts and two walks.

In this one, it started with a leadoff homer to put him behind the eight-ball immediately. Soon after, the bases would be loaded with two outs on the board but he’d induce a popout to avoid another run.

Brooks’ first 1-2-3 inning came in the third inning on the way to tallying a second straight in the fourth en route to seven total.

Nearing the end of his outing, Brooks allowed his second run on an RBI sacrifice fly in the fifth inning but the game was tied in the sixth on a two-run homer off the 35-year-old.

In relief of Brooks, the Las Vegas bullpen pitched three shutout innings of one-hit ball with three strikeouts and a walk.