Longest road trip of the season awaits slipping Aviators

Painful series loss for the Las Vegas Aviators most recently at the hands of the Oklahoma City Baseball Club. The team has dropped eight of 12 games against the Triple-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers.

It was a five-loss series for Las Vegas which included three blown leads. This series outcome comes on the heels of the team’s second five-win series of the season.

As a result, the Aviators went from first place in the Pacific Coast League West to fifth in the entire PCL.

Up next, Las Vegas will embark on its longest road trip of the season of 12 games beginning with a six-game set against Reno. That series with the Aces is scheduled to start Tuesday, Aug. 20 in northern Nevada.

Tuesday, L, 10-8

The three-game win streak for Las Vegas is now over after dropping its series opener against Oklahoma City.

Early offense was the name of the game for OKC en route to its victory. The game opened with a leadoff home run to jumpstart the scoring. Later in the frame, two more runs would score on a two-run double.

In the second inning, Oklahoma City would add its second leadoff homer of the game. Things were really broken open in the third inning behind a two-run single that made it 6-1, visitors.

Starting pitcher Hogan Harris was knocked around during his 4.2 innings outing, giving up eight runs (seven earned) on nine hits with five strikeouts and four walks. He is now 3-3 this year after being saddled with the loss with a 6.23 ERA.

At various points, Las Vegas appeared to be inching back into the game but could never do it fully. A once 4-0 deficit was cut in half in the second inning behind an RBI single from catcher Carlos Perez and an RBI double from second baseman Nick Allen.

The Aviators would climb to within a run an inning later on back-to-back run-producing hits from first baseman Ryan Noda and shortstop Max Muncy. The latter was spectacular again, going 4-for-4 with two singles, two doubles, three RBI and a run scored.

Anytime Las Vegas closed the gap, OKC had a response. In the middle innings the team would add three runs to extend a one-run lead to three.

Wednesday, L, 13-7

The reign at the top of the PCL West has been bumpy for the Aviators following a second straight loss to the Oklahoma City Baseball Club. Through the first two games of a scheduled six, Las Vegas has surrendered 23 total runs and even lost a 4-0 lead in this one.

Right fielder Ryan Noda and third baseman Brett Harris put their team on top early with a two-run home run apiece in the first inning. Harris is seven for his last 19 plate appearances with two homers, six RBI, three runs scored and four strikeouts.

Noda, on the other hand, went yard again in the third inning to tack on another run.

The lead wouldn’t last long. Oklahoma City loaded the bases in the fourth inning with two outs recorded but would clear them with one swing of the bat to tie the game at five on a grand slam. That would be the second home run allowed to that point after a solo dinger in the top of the second with two outs.

Ironically enough, it would be the long ball that would snag OKC its first lead of the game. The team took starting pitcher Gunnar Hoglund deep once again in the sixth inning to take a 6-5 lead.

Hoglund falls to 0-2 on the year after coughing up six runs on seven hits over six innings on the mound with seven strikeouts and two walks.

It would only go downhill from there as the Triple-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers poured it on in the latter innings. Four runs would score in the seventh on an RBI single and RBI double while two more came to pass on a two-run two-bagger.

The eighth inning was even worse for the home team. It began with a walk, single, RBI single, walk and RBI walk even with a pitching change amidst the stretch. Prior to the late game stretch by the visitors, the deficit had been cut to three in the bottom of the seventh.

Thursday, W, 9-2

Las Vegas got its first win of its series against Oklahoma City Thursday night behind nine unanswered runs.

The visitors jumped ahead early with two quick runs in the first inning on a two-run moonshot. From there, the Baseball Club wouldn’t score again.

It was a quick comeback for the Aviators as it began chopping away at it in the home half of the first with an RBI single from right fielder Ryan Noda. Catcher Yohel Pozo would tie the game in the second on an RBI double. Two batters later, the home team would take its first lead on a force out.

From there, the team just piled it on.

Designated hitter Jordan Diaz drove in himself as well as a leadoff walk in the third inning for a 5-2 Las Vegas lead. He now has 20 home runs this season.

Noda would get in on the home run action in the seventh with his 19th of the year. An inning later, he’d plate two more on a two-run double. He went 3-for-3 in the win with two doubles, a homer, four RBI, two runs scored and two walks.

Friday, L, 10-4

Change of momentum to say the least as the Aviators have now dropped their third game in the last four tries following another loss to the Baseball Club.

That snaps a streak of three straight series wins for the previous leaders of the PCL West as it continues to slide in the standings.

An early lead was lost again after being netted on an RBI double from catcher Yohel Pozo in the second inning. A half inning later, the game would be tied on a solo home run hit off starting pitcher Brady Basso.

Las Vegas would not lead again.

Things really began to slide in the top of the fourth when Basso gave up three straight home runs before recording the first out of the frame. He’d be given the loss after yielding five runs on seven hits with five strikeouts and a walk in 3 ⅓ innings of work.

Even with Basso relegated to the bench, things didn’t get any better for manager Fran Riordan and company. Oklahoma City added runs in the sixth and seventh innings to break the game open and make it 10-1.

OKC batters four through seven combined to go 7-for-18 with a single, two doubles, four homers, seven RBI, seven runs scored, three strikeouts and two walks.

Las Vegas was treated to some late power but couldn’t muster much else. Right fielder Ryan Noda went yard for two runs with one out in the eighth inning. He has now homered in back-to-back games.

Teammate Jordan Diaz followed that up with a long ball of his own.

Saturday, L, 8-5

It won’t be a series split for Las Vegas after a fourth loss in five games against Oklahoma City from Las Vegas Ballpark. Too many walks burned the team as the bullpen woes continued.

Despite the win, the Baseball Club didn’t snatch its first lead until the latter third of the ball game. Third baseman Max Muncy smacked a three-run home run in the top of the seventh to take its first lead of the game at 5-2.

Teammate Alan Trejo hit a two-run shot an inning later as part of six straight runs for the visitors. Both of his hits in the series have been long balls.

Seven of the eight runs scored were scored off the Las Vegas bullpen.

Pitcher Robert Dugger (4-0, 4.95 ERA) made his 10th start of the season and three batters into his outing, he’d have the bases loaded. He’d get out of the situation with a strikeout and double play.

Dugger briefly landed himself in more trouble in the third behind back-to-back one-out walks but another double play would end the inning. That double play came on the first pitch following a mound visit from pitching coach Bryan Corey.

By the end of his outing, Dugger had worked five innings, giving up a run on three hits with three strikeouts and five walks. His lone run allowed came on a home run.

Las Vegas pitching did allow a season-high eight walks while only walking three times on offense.

The Aviators scored their early runs on RBI hits from right fielder Logan Davidson and second baseman Nick Allen. As a response to the seven unanswered runs by OKC, shortstop Max Muncy plated two runs in the eighth on a double to put an end to the scoreless stretch.

Sunday, L, 6-3

From a five-win series to a five-loss series following another dropped contest to Oklahoma City. To add insult to injury, Las Vegas lost another lead.

Third baseman Nick Allen put the home team ahead with a solo home run in the first inning. Not long after, designated hitter would add a second run on an RBI single.

Pitcher Hogan Harris was on the hill again and was strong with his strikeout pitches until the middle innings. He recorded at least one strikeout in every inning leading up to the fifth where he opened the frame with back-to-back punch outs.

After that, it’d all go downhill. OKC managed to pump out a double, RBI single, single (plus a stolen base) and three-run home run after Harris’ early fifth inning success.

Harris (3-4) would pitch 4 ⅔ innings, giving up four runs on seven hits with nine strikeouts and a walk. He has now suffered consecutive losses with both coming in this series.

The Aviators offense had a hard time putting away their opponents when given the opportunity. In the sixth inning, the team had the leadoff man reach for a second straight inning without coming around to score. That stretch would trickle into the seventh inning as well for a third straight frame.

In the top of the eighth, OKC was successful getting the leadoff man around to score on an inside-the-park home run. In total , Las Vegas had seven leadoff men reach with just one coming across to score.