Aviators kick off August with series split with intrastate rival Aces

The Las Vegas Aviators ended a bad July and started a hopeful August with a series split with their intrastate rival.

Las Vegas ended the week 3-3 after splitting six games this past week from Las Vegas Ballpark with the Reno Aces of the Arizona Diamondbacks organization. In total, 111 runs were scored in the six days with five games totaling 19 runs or more.

Even still, the Aviators have now won three of their last four games.

The first half champions are one of six teams that are under .500 during the second half of the minor league schedule. Additionally, the club is one of five teams in the Pacific Coast League with a negative run differential.

Tacoma (23-10), El Paso (20-12), Oklahoma City (19-14) and Sacramento (18-15) are the only teams over .500 in the league.

Manager Fran Riordan is scheduled to return to the team as it embarks on a six-game road series with the Salt Lake Bees of the Los Angeles Angels organization. The series is set to begin Tuesday, Aug. 5 from Utah with first pitch slated for around 6 p.m.

Tuesday, L, 8-2

Make it 10 losses in the last 11 games for the Aviators after dropping the series opener against the Aces. Additionally, it’s the sixth straight home loss for the club while being the team’s third straight overall loss.

Las Vegas fell behind 5-0 early and it started with a double and an RBI single to open the game. In the second, Reno would swat a grand slam over the fence for the five-run lead.

Starter Mason Barnett produced his first 1-2-3 inning in the third frame. An inning later, he’d give up another run on an RBI single with two outs. Soon after, he’d get out of the frame with a groundout that counted as the team’s first induced groundball of the night.

Barnett went four innings with six runs allowed on six hits with eight strikeouts and two walks. Along the way, he racked up two strikeouts in each of his first four innings on the mound.

With reliever Will Johnston on the bump to start the seventh inning, he’d walk three of the first four batters he faced. The Aces would open the eighth with a leadoff home run before adding another run on a passed ball to take the 8-2 lead.

The Aviators scored both of its runs in the second inning on the heels of a two-run single from shortstop Drew Swift. Both Swift and third baseman Euribiel Angeles made their Triple-A debuts while also tallying their first Triple-A hits. Angeles was one of the two runs scored on Swift’s two-run single.

Las Vegas missed several other opportunities to add more runs to the board. In the third inning, the team went down on a popout, flyout and strikeout after having two reach before the first out was recorded. An inning later, a leadoff walk would be stranded after two flyouts and a groundout despite a hit-by-pitch mixed in there.

As a team, the Aviators went 1-for-10 with runners in scoring position while leaving 11 men on base. With that, the team didn’t go down in order until the eighth inning.

Wednesday, L, 10-9

Las Vegas has endured six one-run losses this month as the month of July continues to be a bleak one for the first half champions. It has now lost the first two games of a scheduled six-game home series against Reno.

The first three pitchers out of the gate for the Aviators were blitzed fast by Aces batters.

Pitcher Ken Waldichuk is still actively rehabbing from Tommy John Surgery but continuing to struggle along the way. In just 1 ⅓ innings of work in this one, he gave up four runs on five hits with a strikeout and two walks.

Waldichuk now has an earned run average of 10.31 after giving up a two-run home run and RBI single along with an RBI sacrifice fly in his outing.

Reno batted around in the second and third innings en route to the win. It started the third inning by loading the bases with nobody out. All would come across to score on an RBI walk, RBI single and another RBI walk.

Reliever Jake Walkinshaw (4-4) got the loss after giving up four runs (three earned runs) in 1 ⅔ innings on the mound coupled with three walks. Fellow reliever Tanner Dodson went two innings with two hits surrendered while two runs scored to go along with two strikeouts and two walks.

All 10 runs allowed came in the first five innings of the game.

In totality, the game didn’t see its first 1-2-3 inning until the bottom of the third.

Las Vegas batted around itself in the second inning with five runs coming across to score. Third baseman Euribiel Angeles got things started with an RBI double following a leadoff single from teammate Henry Bolte.

Designated hitter Alejo Lopez drove in another run on an RBI double with two outs to climb to within a run of the lead. Back-to-back walks would load the bases for a two-run single by first baseman Willie MacIver and an RBI single from catcher Daniel Susac.

With that, the Aviators held a 6-4 lead before losing the advantage for good in the inning. MacIver also gave the team its first lead of the game at 1-0 in the first inning after an RBI single with two outs.

Las Vegas’s final three runs of the game came in the fifth inning on a wild pitch and back-to-back RBI groundouts by shortstop Drew Swift and left fielder Nick Martini. Moreover, the team loaded the bases in the seventh inning with two outs but could never get a run across due to an inning-ending flyout.

The one-run loss also was possible behind the Aviator bullpen retired the last 10 Aces batters and 13 of the last 14 batters faced. The bullpen combination of Gustavo Rodriguez, Anthony Maldonado and Tyler Ferguson combined to work four innings of one-hit ball while tallying four total strikeouts.

Thursday, W, 12-7

The four-game losing streak is over for Las Vegas after the team earned its first home win since July 1. In total, the team went 2-7 at home in the month of July.

Aviators Nick Martini and Willie MacIver played a pivotal roles in preserving the win for the home team.

Martini gave the team its first lead since the second inning with a seventh-inning RBI single to break a 7-7 tie. An inning later, MacIver produced the second of back-to-back frame-opening doubles to add another run. Initially, he tied the game at seven in the fourth inning on a two-run single.

MacIver went 2-for-4 with a single, double, four RBI, two stolen bases, a run scored and a strikeout. He has seven total RBI in the last two games. First baseman Cooper Bowman also turned in a big night with a 3-for-4 night with two singles, a double, three RBI and two runs scored while also being hit by a pitch.

Things really ballooned in the eighth inning with back-to-back RBI doubles by center fielder Henry Bolte and third baseman Euribiel Angeles.

Starting pitcher Joey Estes lost an early lead in the third inning after a back-and-forth second inning that saw both teams combine to score eight runs. In the third, he’d serve up a solo home run with two outs to shatter a 5-5 tie. He’d replicate the performance in the fourth inning to fall behind 7-5.

Estes went five full innings with seven runs allowed on seven hits with two strikeouts and two walks.

From there, Las Vegas pitching would retire 13 of the next 15 batters without giving up a hit. It produced just two strikeouts through the first six innings of the game before ending the game with six more in the final three innings of the game.

Left-hander Hogan Harris (1-1) picked up the win after pitching two hitless innings with five strikeouts recorded to just one walk. He posted a highlight reel inning in the eighth by striking out the side.

Fellow relievers David Leal and Tyler Ferguson combined to toss two scoreless innings of one hit ball with one strikeout tallied.

Friday, W, 10-9, F/10 innings

Las Vegas will open the new month with another win as part of back-to-back wins over Reno from Las Vegas Ballpark. It was a walk-off finish for the home team as it earned its second win nine extra inning games this season.

To start the 10th inning, the Aces took their first lead since the game’s opening frame behind an RBI single with one out on the board. In the home half of the 10th, right fielder Nick Martini tied the game on an RBI double of his own. Following a walk to left fielder Alejo Lopez, second baseman Zack Gelof sent the fans home happy with a walk-off RBI single.

Las Vegas’ lineup had stacked stat lines to go around following a seven-run first inning. It began with a leadoff double by Martini, who would later score on an error. After that six straight one-out hits would ignite the big inning including four RBI singles and a two-run double.

In that frame, the Aviators batted around while sending 11 total men to the plate. Six players turned in at least two hits while three added two RBI and three more scored three runs.

Designated hitter Daniel Susac went 3-for-5 with two singles, a double, a run scored and a strikeout.

Pitcher Mitch Spence went 2 ⅓ innings in his start while giving up five runs (four earned) on six hits with three strikeouts and two walks. Fellow pitcher Aaron Brooks did a lot of the heavy lifting with three runs allowed on eight hits in five innings on the mound with five strikeouts as part of his blown save effort.

Reliever Scott McGough (4-0) got the win after working a single inning with a run scored on the ghost runner with one hit allowed, a strikeout recorded and a walk issued.

Saturday, L, 14-8

Las Vegas won’t be winners of three straight games this time around and will now need a win in the series finale to preserve a series split.

The team’s bullpen had a rough go at things, helping lend to the final result. Reno began to really get to starting pitcher Kade Morris in the fourth inning. The team pushed across runs on an RBI single with two outs and a grand slam before he was pulled from the mound in a frame where the visitors batted around.

In the fifth inning, the Aces added three more runs on a two-run double and an RBI single before Morris was yanked from the mound. Reno batted around for a second straight inning in the fifth frame as part of sending 10 men to the plate as it went up 12-1.

The Aviators’ bullpen combined to work six innings with 12 runs given up on 10 hits with seven strikeouts and eight walks.

Morris (3-5) was given the loss after his last four appearances came in road starts. He is now 2-2 in home starts this season after going three innings with two runs allowed on six hits with four strikeouts and three walks.

Twelve of Reno’s 14 runs came to pass with two outs recorded.

First baseman Willie MacIver accounted for most of the Las Vegas offense, opening the home team’s scoring with a leadoff homer in the bottom of the second inning.

MacIver added a three-run dinner in the sixth inning for a multi-home run night. He also plated two more runs in the eighth inning on a two-run single. Catcher Daniel Susac had a big swing in the same frame that produced two runs on a home run of his own.

In total, the Aviators racked up eight hits with half coming from MacIver during his 4-for-4 night with two singles, two homers, six RBI and three runs scored. He now has 15 RBI in the series.

Designated hitter Colby Halter recorded his first Triple-A hit in the loss.

Sunday, W, 16-6

It will be a split series after Las Vegas picked up its third win in the last four games. The first three innings produced a lot of runs on both sides with the home team gaining a big advantage heading into the third inning.

Designated hitter Nick Martini got things going with a leadoff homer in the bottom of the first. In that same frame, runs would score on an RBI single from first baseman Willie MacIver and a two-run triple by right fielder Henry Bolte.

Infielders Zack Gelof and Brett Harris went back-to-back for jacks in the third inning to open the home half. Harris would later add another home run to his ledger.

The third inning was just beginning with Gelof and Harris’ longballs with catcher Daniel Susac hitting a solo home run of his own as part of a six-home run day for the Aviators.

Center fielder Junior Perez made his Triple-A debut and would record his first hit, RBI, home run and run scored at the level. He finished a triple-shy of the cycle in his Las Vegas debut.

Perez plated Bolte on an RBI single in the third inning ahead of an RBI single from left fielder Alejo Lopez. He was part of a 7-9 trio in the bottom third of the Aviator lineup that came up huge in the win.

The final three batters in the Las Vegas lineup combined to go 9-for-13 with three singles, four doubles, a triple, a home run, seven RBI and seven runs scored. Bolte and shortstop Drew Swift made up the rest of the trio as Perez closed out the lineup.

Starting pitcher Mason Barnett recorded two strikeouts in the second, third and fourth innings of the game as part of the winning effort. He went 4 ⅓ innings on the mound with five runs allowed on seven hits to go along with eight strikeouts and three walks.

Barnett recorded 16 total strikeouts in two starts this week.

In total, Las Vegas pitching racked up 14 total strikeouts en route to the win.