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A hot stretch to say the least is what the Las Vegas Aviators are on currently after winning a series against the first place team in the Pacific Coast League West.
Las Vegas took four of six games away from Tacoma of the Seattle Mariners organization this past week from Las Vegas Ballpark. The Aviators took the final four games of the series to reach the team’s longest win streak of the season.
Dating back to the team’s last series, Las Vegas has won seven of its last nine games while going 7-5 during this most recent homestand.
After taking on the first place Rainiers, the Aviators are now 9-11 on the year and are slotted in the fourth spot of the PCL West standings. There is a four and a half game gap between Las Vegas and first place which is now held by the Sacramento River Cats of the San Francisco Giants organization.
For a second straight week, the Aviators will have a chance to make a move on the first place team as it prepares to travel to Northern California for a six-game series with the River Cats. That series is set to begin Tuesday, April 23 from Sutter Health Park.
Tuesday, L, 14-0
Things were a little rough around the edges for Las Vegas in another series opening loss, this time to Tacoma. Through the first four series of the season, the Aviators have yet to win an opener including this lopsided, 14-0, finish.
The Rainiers hit a solo home run with two outs in the top of the second inning and that would count as the team’s first hit of the game. More trouble loomed an inning later after starting pitcher Jack O’Loughlin walked the leadoff man in the third but proceeded to induce a groundout, lineout and flyout.
O’Loughlin only produced a first pitch strike to one of the first eight batters he faced on the night. HIs most troubling innings came in the fourth.
Tacoma third baseman Michael Chavis hit a two-run homer in the fourth to give the visitors a 3-0 lead. Chavis was responsible for both longballs given up by O’Loughlin with both coming with two outs recorded.
O’Loughlin (0-2, 8-80 ERA) went 3.2 innings on the mound, giving up three runs on four hits with six strikeouts and two walks.
In the fifth inning, the Rainiers more than doubled its run output by putting up six runs in the frame while sending 10 men to the plate. Four of the first five batters reached base with two coming across to score.
Las Vegas had its hands full with opposing pitcher Jhonathan Diaz and just couldn’t take advantage of opportunities when they presented themselves.
A leadoff double was wasted after the runner was out, going to third in a fielder’s choice in the bottom of the first. An inning later, the team would muscle out two singles with nobody out before loading it with two outs. No runs were scored after a flyout ending the chance.
The last chance at offensive success against Diaz came in the fourth inning when the lefty walked back-to-back batters to open the frame. He’d get out of danger with a groundout, lineout and flyout.
Diaz went six scoreless innings, working around five hits with eight strikeouts versus zero walks. He is now 3-0 with a 0.38 ERA this season.
Salt Lake’s bullpen picked right up where Diaz left off in dominating the Las Vegas lineup. At one point late in the game, the Aviators struck out five straight times en route to having eight straight guys retired in order before a ninth inning double with two outs.
Wednesday, L, 8-4
A see-saw game ended with Tacoma pulling away from Las Vegas in an 8-4 win from Las Vegas Ballpark Wednesday night.
With three ties and four lead changes, the Rainiers took control of the game for good in the seventh inning after a leadoff bunt single got things started. That runner advanced to second on a passed ball before stealing third base and scoring on an RBI single.
Left fielder Samad Taylor was responsible for driving in that run and was also responsible for two runs on another single in the top of the eighth.
Two of Tacoma’s first four run scorers didn’t reach on hits with a hit-by-pitch and a walk being the culprits. The hit-by-pitch turned into a run on a fielder’s choice while the walk came around to score on an RBI single two innings later.
For the second straight night, Las Vegas tallied three errors.
Rainier No. 9 and No. 1 hitters Blake Hunt and Sam Haggerty combined to go 7-for-8 with five singles, two doubles, two RBI, two runs scored, a stolen base, walk and hit-by-pitch.
Three of the four Aviators runs came in the first two innings beginning with an RBI double from catcher Tyler Soderstrom. He now has a team-leading 11 RBI this season.
The game featured its second lead change in as many innings by the bottom of the second inning. Shortstop Max Muncy drove in two runs on a double to give the home team a 3-2 lead at the time.
First baseman Drew Lugbauer tied the game at four apiece after his solo home run to leadoff the bottom of the sixth inning. That marked the third and final tie of the game.
Prior to that, Las Vegas had just one hit through the previous three innings.
The Aviators had nine straight batters sat down in order in the latter innings before third baseman Brett Harris reached on an error to start the home half of the ninth inning.
Thursday, W, 4-0
Needing a win in a bad way while facing another former Cy Young award winner Las Vegas got the victory it so badly needed.
Duking it out with pitcher Dallas Keuchel was the storyline coming into the game with the former World Series winner having not allowed a home run entering play to go along with his 2-0 record this season.
The streak to start the season without a home run allowed was wiped clear after shortstop Darell Hernaiz went yard in just his second at-bat of the season as he made his 2024 Triple-A debut. That shot gave the home team a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the third inning.
Tacoma would tie the game after scraping runs across the plate in the fourth and fifth innings respectively.
Center fielder Daz Cameron was the difference the rest of the way, beginning with a solo home run in the bottom of the fifth inning to break a 2-2 tie. That went down as his first longball of the season.
Two innings later, Cameron scored an insurance run on an RBI double from fellow outfielder Hoy Park after doubling with one out to get into scoring position. Cameron went 2-for-3 with a double, home run, RBI, two runs scored and a strikeout.
Las Vegas pitcher Joey Estes made his fourth start of the season after previously going at least four innings in each of his first three. By the end of this one, he’d pump out his longest appearance of the year.
As the Rainiers made their move in the middle innings starting with an RBI triple to open the scoring for the visitors. In the fifth, Estes loaded the bases with nobody out on a walk, double and hit-by-pitch before the game was tied on an RBI walk.
Estes would get the quality start after working six innings, giving up two runs on four hits with three strikeouts and three walks.
More trouble lurked as Tacoma loaded the bases again in the seventh inning on a single and back-to-back walks but a fielder’s choice would close the frame with relief pitcher Michel Otanez. Reliever Tyler Ferguson picked up the two-inning save with four strikeouts to his credit. The game-sealing play came on a lineout following back-to-back two-out singles in the top of the ninth inning.
Friday, W, 11-7
Las Vegas has back-to-back wins in a second straight series after a Friday night win over Tacoma which included plenty of fireworks. The team also honored former bat dog, Finn, during his retirement night.
The Aviators didn’t have a hit until the third inning but would send 10 men to the plate in the third frame. With that, the team was able to get out the Rainiers starter after just two-plus innings of work.
Bases were loaded with nobody out in the third inning before a station-to-station RBI single from right fielder Hoy Park to make it 3-1 in favor of the visitors. Three runs would come to score after a double from designated hitter Jordan Diaz to give Las Vegas its first lead of the game.
Things were compounded with additional run-producing hits from catcher Tyler Soderstrom and third baseman Brett Harris to eventually make it 6-3 after entering the bottom of the third down 3-0.
Second baseman Max Muncy was responsible for the team’s first hit of the night but had his biggest swing of the night come in the sixth inning on a two-run home run. That swing pushed the lead to three.
Harris plated two more runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to take the team lead in RBI with 13 on the year highlighted by three on the night. The tandem of Muncy and Harris combined to go 4-for-6 with three singles, a home run, five RBI, three runs scored, a strikeout and two walks.
Starting pitcher Hogan Harris returned to the mound coming off his strongest start of the season. He’d go 4 ⅓ innings with five runs allowed on seven hits with a strikeout and five walks.
Relief pitcher Alex Speas got the win in his fourth outing as an Aviator after being the lone reliever to pitch more than an inning with a 1 ⅔ innings pitched mark.
Saturday, W, 6-5
Las Vegas has a three-game win streak for the second time in eight days following a 6-5 win in hold on fashion against Tacoma. The win secures at least a series split for the Aviators with a chance to win their first series of the season.
On this “What If?” Night, the Las Vegas Aviators were presented as the Las Vegas Gamblers.
Designated hitter Drew Lugbauer broke a 2-2 tie with a two-run home run in the bottom of the sixth to give the Gamblers the lead for good. Catcher Carlos Perez was already on-base after doubling earlier in the inning.
That was Perez’s second double of the night after he doubled home a run in the bottom of the second to open the night’s scoring. He went 2-for-4 with two doubles, an RBI and a run scored.
Las Vegas turned that two-run lead provided by Lugbauer’s homer in a four-run lead in the seventh inning after right fielder Hoy Park singled in a run following a leadoff triple by center fielder Lazaro Armenteros.
Park would also score after a near self-engineered run. He advanced on an error following a pickoff attempt and then would score on a wild pitch.
Every single run was needed as the Rainiers comeback bid fell just short. Relief pitcher Vinny Nittoli gave up a solo home run in the eighth inning to trim the lead to three.
Fellow reliever Tyler Ferguson’s save wasn’t the smoothest by any means starting with a leadoff single. It’d appear he’d be nearing the clear after inducing a popout and groundout however a single plated two runs to cut it to just one.
Ferguson would secure his third save of the year on a groundout soon after. That’s his second save in the last three days with all three of his saves coming in his last four appearances.
Pitcher Osvaldo Bido got the start and would go 4 ⅔ innings with two runs on five hits with four strikeouts and three walks. Reliever Easton Lucas got the win after allowing just one hit in 1 ⅓ innings of work while tallying a strikeout. Lucas is now 2-0 this season with a 2.16 ERA.
Sunday, W, 7-5 F/10 innings
With nearly 92% of the game’s runs coming in the seventh inning or later, the Aviators needed extra innings to earn their first series win of the season. The win means a season-best four straight wins for Las Vegas.
First baseman Carlos Perez emerged as the player of the game after entering the game as a pinch hitter in the seventh inning. In just four short innings, he managed to go 3-for-3 with two home runs, a triple, five RBI and three runs scored.
Perez’s first homer on the day came to open the bottom half of the ninth inning to tie the game at four apiece. An inning later, he’d send the fans home with a three-run shot with two outs on a 1-0 count.
Over the final two games of the series, Perez went 5-for-7 with two homers, two doubles, a triple, six RBI and four runs scored.
The game featured plenty of twists and turns with Las Vegas losing its lead in the top of the eighth inning. Four of five reached at one point during a stretch where the only out recorded came on an RBI sacrifice fly. The first run came on a wild pitch despite a strikeout being recorded.
One inning later, Tacoma’s Michael Chavis hit a leadoff home run to put the visitors ahead by a run. That marked his third homer of the series but would soon be outdone by the back-to-back innings with blasts from Perez.
Starting pitcher Jack O’Loughlin coughed up a leadoff home run at the start of the second inning and at the time had allowed his fifth home run in his first 12 innings pitched this season.
O’Loughlin entered having given up at least two earned runs in every game started this year but would only allow that lone run on that homer in this one. He’d go five full innings, giving up one run on four hits with six strikeouts and a walk.
Relief pitcher Alex Speas earned the win for the second time in three days to improve to 2-0 on the year.