Aviators stay the course in split series against Sacramento

The streak of not losing a series has surpassed a third week as the Las Vegas Aviators split a six-game series with the Sacramento River Cats this past week in northern California.

Las Vegas won two of the last three games of the series including a shutout win in the series finale. That marked the team’s first shutout this season and it comes in the team’s 26th outing of the year.

While remaining two games under .500, the Aviators (12-14) have slid further behind while being tied for third place in the Pacific Coast League West standings. Currently the top spot is occupied by the aforementioned River Cats at 17-10.

Over the last 14 games, Las Vegas has racked up 10 wins and will be returning home for six more games against Reno. The series will include a Wednesday doubleheader following a postponement from the opening series of the season at the end of March.

That series is set to start Tuesday, April 30 from Las Vegas Ballpark. First pitch is slated for 7:05 p.m.

Tuesday, L, 14-1

Las Vegas pitching was taxed big in the fifth inning in a 14-1 series opening loss to Sacramento to snap a season-long four-game win streak.

The bottom of the fifth inning started with four straight hits for the home team that eventually led to the removal of starting pitcher Aaron Brooks (0-4, 4.97 ERA), who received the loss. Prior to that, the only inning Brooks had serious trouble was in the bottom of the second when a leadoff triple would come around to score on an RBI single. Later in the frame, two more would score on another single to put the Aviators in a 3-0 hole.

Two of those four straight hits in the fifth plated runs as Brooks left the mound to a 5-0 deficit with more runs pending. Two more runs would be charged to him after reliever Easton Lucas gave up a run on a sacrifice fly and two more on a home run.

The next three pitchers out of the Las Vegas bullpen coughed up runs including three runs given up by Alex Speas, two by Michel Otanez and another one from Gerardo Reyes.

Catcher Tyler Soderstrom was responsible for the lone run of the game for the Aviators on a leadoff home run in the top of the sixth. He now has six home runs and 14 RBI, both of which leads the club.

Wednesday, W, 10-4

Las Vegas earned a fifth win in its last six games when it picked up its first win of the series against Sacramento.

It didn’t come easy as the team fell behind to the River Cats for a second straight game and had to overcome an early 2-0 hole.

Center fielder Daz Cameron wiped that deficit away with one swing on a two-run home run in the fifth inning following a one-out walk. He now has two dingers on the season.

Fellow outfielder Lazaro Armenteros also homered later in the game for his first longball of the season.

Designated hitter Yohel Pozo gave the Aviators their first lead of the series on an RBI single with one out in the top of the sixth inning. Three batters later, third baseman Brett Harris drove in another run on a single with two outs to provide the team with a two-run lead.

The game was really broken open in the seventh inning when Las Vegas plated five runs. The bases were loaded before Sacramento could record the first out of the frame. From there Pozo would score another on a second RBI sacrifice fly, first baseman Drew Lugbauer drove in another on a single and another from right fielder Stephen Piscotty’s double.

Cameron’s bat made another appearance in the seventh when he scorched a single for two more runs. He went 2-for-3 with a single, a home run, four RBI, a run scored, a strikeout and a walk.

Normal reliever Gerson Moreno made a spot start and would give up one run on one hit in three innings on the mound. He also tallied two strikeouts and two walks. Right-handed reliever Zach Jackson got his first win of the year after working two innings, giving up a run on a hit with three strikeouts and a walk.

Thursday, L, 7-1

For the first time this series, Las Vegas scored first and grabbed the first lead of the game but it was not enough as the team once again went cold on offense.

Designated hitter Yohel Pozo cashed in a leadoff single on his RBI double. Over the last two games, he has gone 4-for-8 with three singles, a double, three RBI, a run scored and a strikeout.

The lead was short-lived as Sacramento tied the game on a solo home run in the bottom of the second. Starter Hogan Harris was seemingly rattled after that and would issue four straight walks with a wild pitch sprinkled in and with that, the lead was gone and gone for good.

With another run being plated on an RBI sacrifice fly and a hit-by-pitch, Harris was pulled from the mound. Harris went 1 ⅔ innings, yielding six runs on just one hit with two strikeouts and five walks.

Reliever Easton Lucas came in and swiftly gave up three more runs on a double for a 6-1 advantage for the home team.

At one point in the middle of the game, eight straight Las Vegas batters were retired in order.

By the end of the game, the Aviators had gone 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position while leaving 10 men on-base.

Friday, W, 4-3

Las Vegas had to play catchup but eventually it caught Sacramento and came away with a 4-3 win Friday night. The team is now two games under .500.

The first Aviator appearance for pitcher Diego Barrera didn’t go as planned as he was yanked from the mound before he could complete two innings. Barrera loaded the bases with one out recorded in the bottom of the second and would tally a strikeout to inch one step closer to getting out of the jam.

Barrera would never get out of the jam after he’d be removed following a two-run single to open the game’s scoring. He’d still be charged for the additional run that would cross the plate in the second before putting forth a final stat line of 1 ⅔ innings of work with three runs allowed on three hits with a strikeout and a walk.

With one swing of the bat, catcher Carlos Perez tied the game via a three-run home run in the top of the third inning. He now has tied catcher Tyler Soderstrom with six home runs for the team lead.

The Aviators would take the lead in the top of the fifth inning after designated hitter Yohel Pozo doubled with one out followed by a walk issued to Perez. First baseman Drew Lugbauer hit a double to drive in Pozo and give the visitors the lead for good.

Pitcher Osvaldo Bido essentially made a start out of the bullpen going 5 ⅓ scoreless innings, yielding just three hits with seven strikeouts and three walks. He got the win to improve to 3-1 on the year with a 3.33 ERA.

The combination of relievers Francisco Perez and Tyler Ferguson went two scoreless and hitless innings with four strikeouts and a walk. Perez earned a hold while Ferguson added his fourth save of the season.

Saturday, L, 5-4

Las Vegas now needs a win in the series finale against Sacramento following the second straight one-run finish in the six-game set. The Aviators lost a three-run lead in this one after the bullpen couldn’t keep the lid on.

Third baseman Brett Harris launched a leadoff home run on the first pitch of the game to help spark the early offense for Las Vegas. The River Cats would tie the game in the bottom half of the frame on an RBI double with two outs.

Las Vegas really jumped on the lead in the second inning beginning with a second straight leadoff home run, this time by second baseman Armando Alvarez via an inside-the-park variety.

The team would add another run on three straight singles with Harris being responsible for yet another run. He went 2-for-5 with a single, a home run, two RBI and a run scored.

Catcher Tyler Soderstrom would scratch across another one on another RBI single and that would serve as the last run of the game for Las Vegas.

Starting pitcher Jack O’Loughlin avoided trouble for the most part during his brief outing. He averted danger in the form of a leadoff double when he struck out the next two batters followed by a flyout.

O’Loughlin went three innings, giving up one run on four hits with six strikeouts and three walks.

For as good as the bullpen was the previous night, it couldn’t hold it together in this one. Reliever Zach Jackson gave up a leadoff home run in the bottom of the fourth inning just two pitches in. He’d give up another run on an RBI double with one out to bring the River Cats to within a run of tying the game.

Fellow reliever Stevie Emanuels blew a save in the fifth inning after a leadoff single turned into a run on an RBI double to tie the game at four apiece.

The final blow came in the bottom of the eighth inning when a solo home run with one out broke the tie. That came off relief pitcher Tyler Baum resulting in his first decision of the season which was a loss.

He has a 9.45 ERA in six appearances this season.

Sunday, W, 7-0

With both offenses enduring a slow start to the game, Las Vegas exploded late in a 7-0 win in the series finale against Sacramento. The win splits the six-game series at three apiece.

Starting pitcher Joey Estes pitched a masterful game that didn’t see him pitch out of the stretch until there was one out recorded in the bottom of the second inning. He didn’t give up his first hit until the bottom of the third to start the frame.

While he worked around that leadoff single, he worked around a leadoff double an inning later by inducing a flyout, lineout and groundout. Estes went five scoreless innings, giving up four hits while striking out four and walking one.

His performance earned him his second win of the season as he improves to 2-2 on the year with a 5.55 ERA.

Aviator pitching out of the bullpen retired the last 12 River Cats in order over the last four innings. Relievers Easton Lucas, Francisco Perez and Vinny Nittoli all recorded holds on the day.

Las Vegas didn’t tally its first run of the game until the sixth inning when back-to-back doubles broke it open. Catcher Yohel Pozo’s double was the latter and drove in the game’s first run.

In the top of the ninth is when the Aviators really found their collective swing. The bases were loaded with nobody out before an RBI single from left fielder Daz Cameron and an RBI walk from center fielder Lazaro Armenteros to build a 3-0 lead.

Third baseman Brett Harris had the biggest swing of the game when he struck for four runs on a grand slam in the ninth. He now has three home runs on the season to go along with a team-high 20 RBI.