.png)
The first place lead in the Pacific Coast League West is still intact after another series win for the Las Vegas Aviators.
Las Vegas took two of three games from the Round Rock Express from Las Vegas Ballpark, en route to a 34-22 overall record.
The Aviators have won 12 of their last 13 games and currently sport a 21-12 home record as they prepare to head back to the road.
A three-game road weekend series against the Sugar Land Space Cowboys (21-36) of the Houston Astros organization is next on the schedule for Las Vegas.
That series is set to begin Friday, June 10 with first pitch scheduled for 5:05 p.m.
Tuesday, L, 9-6
It took seven days but the Aviators suffered their first loss in the month of June.
Nine unanswered Round Rock runs sent Las Vegas to a 9-6 loss in the series opener from Las Vegas Ballpark. In addition, all runs by the Express were scored between the sixth and eighth innings.
Prior to this game, the Aviators were 19-5 when scoring the first run of the game.
It was an eighth inning disaster for Las Vegas that saw the team come within inches of avoiding all of it.
A near called third strike that was ruled a ball kept an at-bat alive that would send the go-ahead run for the road team.
By the end of the eighth inning, Round Rock had struck for six runs on seven hits with 11 men coming to the plate.
Left-handed reliever Adam Kolarek (0-1) got the loss in his first decision of the year after giving up two runs on two hits in just under two innings of work.
Starter Collin Wiles flashed signs of brilliance in his no-decision outing.
He went 5 ⅔ innings of work, allowing two runs on four hits with four strikeouts and two walks. Wiles combined to strike out four batters over his last four appearances prior to Tuesday’s start.
The good of the night saw Wiles need just six pitches to get through the third inning. In fact, he didn’t give up his first hit of the game until the fourth inning.
However, the bad saw him give up a solo home run with one out in the sixth inning.
Las Vegas got some offense early but went cold late.
The second inning saw the team record its first hit of the game when second baseman Vimael Machín led off with a single.
With the bases loaded and nobody out, shortstop Nick Allen would walk in a run while designated hitter Billy McKinney would ground out as a run scored.
That same inning, center fielder Vince Fernandez extended his hitting streak to 13 straight games amidst a 3-for-5 night. He recorded a single, two doubles, an RBI, two runs scored and a strikeout.
Las Vegas had another bases loaded occurrence in the fourth inning with one out but was only able to push across one run on an RBI sacrifice fly from left fielder Nate Mondou.
Although, the Aviators would have nine straight batters sent down in order between the fifth and eighth innings.
The other Las Vegas run of the game scored via a wild pitch from Round Rock pitcher Jonathan Hernandez in the eighth inning.
Infielder Sheldon Neuse played in his first game with the Aviators since 2019 after major league stints with the Los Angeles Dodgers and Oakland Athletics.
He went 1-for-2 with a single, a run scored and a strikeout after entering the game in the sixth inning as a pinch hitter.
Third baseman Jonah Bride went 2-for-5 with a single and double and is now hitting .436 on the year in 10 Triple-A games played this year.
Wednesday, W, 5-2
A 5-0 start to Wednesday night’s game was enough for the Aviators to take game two of three away from the Express.
Starting pitcher Adrian Martinez dazzled as he tossed seven shutout innings, allowing just two hits in the process. Both hits came in the first three innings of the contest.
He struck out seven and walked three while also hitting a batter.
That is now a third straight win for Martinez (3-2) after starting the Triple-A season 0-2. His last loss dates back to April 28.
Now, Martinez sports an earned run average of 5.14 after having it sit as high as 15.43 earlier in the season.
Four of the five Las Vegas runs came off doubles beginning with shortstop Nick Allen who opened the scoring in the sixth inning.
Allen also hit another RBI double in the eighth inning en route to a 2-for-3 night with two doubles, two RBIs, a run scored, a strikeout and a walk.
He now has eight doubles on the year.
The other two doubles also came in the eighth inning and were hit by outfielders Vince Fernandez and Drew Jackson.
Third baseman Sheldon Neuse went deep in the seventh inning for his first Las Vegas home run since 2019. It was his lone hit in five trips to the plate in just his second game back with the Aviators.
Thursday, W, 15-10
The home run ball expunged an early deficit for Las Vegas as it took its second straight game from Round Rock.
It was two home runs from the road team that set the Aviators back, 3-0, through the first three and a half innings.
However, right fielder Dalton Kelly put Las Vegas on the board with a two-run home run in the bottom of the second.
That power swing came with two outs in the inning and drove in designated hitter Austin Allen, who singled prior to Kelly’s at-bat.
More Aviator blasts came in the third inning when center fielder Vince Fernandez hit a two-run home run after left fielder Nate Mondou doubled to open the inning.
At that point, Las Vegas led 4-3.
Third baseman Sheldon Neuse went back-to-back with Fernandez as he hit a home run for the second time in as many games.
Allen added another two runs on a double before the end of the inning to give the home team a four-run lead.
Round Rock would eventually cut the deficit to one twice but could never draw even or take the lead.
Pitcher Grant Holmes made the spot start going two innings, giving up three runs on four hits including both opposing home runs.
Pitcher Aaron Brown got the win after relieving Holmes of his duties. He got the victory despite allowing three runs on five hits in two innings of work.