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PCL Las Vegas Aviators

Aviators' Bats Silenced in 5-2 Loss to Tacoma

June 19, 2021 - Pacific Coast League (PCL)
Las Vegas Aviators News Release


After a five-game stretch in which the Aviators and their opponents scored 114 runs (and clubbed 29 home runs), everybody in attendance at Las Vegas Ballpark on Friday night - players, coaches, umpires, fans, vendors - were beyond eager to finally witness a clean, crisp, well-pitched ballgame.

It just seemed unlikely to happen, given that Aviators relief pitcher Miguel Romero brought a 9.24 ERA in his spot start, while Tacoma starter Darren McCaughan carried his 5.33 ERA to the mound. Sure enough, Romero and McCaughan combined to allow five runs in the first three innings.

But a funny thing happened on the way to another slugfest: A pitcher's duel emerged over the game's final six innings. A not so funny thing? McCaughan and the Rainiers won that duel.

McCaughan tossed eight sensational innings, scattering eight hits, walking just one and retiring 16 of the final 18 batters he faced, lifting Tacoma to a 5-2 victory before a crowd of 7,690. In taking the second straight game of a six-game series, the Rainiers (21-15) stretched their winning streak to six in a row while sending Las Vegas (18-20) to its season-high fifth consecutive defeat.

For the fourth straight game, the Aviators dug themselves an early hole, as Tacoma scored a pair of runs in the second and third innings to open up a 4-0 lead. However, Las Vegas appeared poised to slice that deficit in half - at the very least - in the bottom of the inning when, with runners on second and third, shortstop Pete Kozma ripped a one-out single to left field.

Luis Barrera easily trotted home with the Aviators' first run, but Rainiers left fielder Luis Liberato threw a perfect strike to catcher Cal Raleigh, who tagged out Greg Deichmann trying to score from second.

Nobody could've predicted it at the time, but that turned out to be Las Vegas' last legitimate chance at putting up a crooked number against McCaughan. After Deichmann was gunned down at home, the right-hander walked Vimael Machín before striking out Frank Schwindel to end the third. From there, McCaughan (3-2) allowed just two more hits, both in the seventh inning: Austin Allen's leadoff home run and Barrera's two-out double.

The one silver lining for the Aviators in defeat? The performance of relief pitchers James Naile and Grant Holmes, the latter of whom was scheduled to start Friday's game before being moved from the starting rotation to the bullpen.

After Romero surrendered three runs on six hits in three innings, Naile entered the game and retired all nine batters he faced on just 33 pitches (19 for strikes). Holmes then took over and worked two scoreless innings, yielding just two hits and a walk while striking out three.

Given the bullpen's struggles all season - and particularly in the previous five contests - the outstanding outings by Naile and Holmes no doubt brought a smile to the faces of Aviators manager Fran Riordan and pitching coach Rick Rodriguez. Unfortunately for both - and everyone else in the Las Vegas clubhouse - that was the only thing to smile about.

GAME NOTES: Barrera (2-for-3) was the only Aviator to record multiple hits. ... Thanks to Allen's seventh-inning solo shot that easily cleared the right-field wall, Las Vegas now has hit at least one home run in 13 straight games. ... One night after going 4-for-5 with two homers and five RBI, third baseman Jacob Wilson went 0-for-4, snapping his five-game hitting streak. ... Six pitchers combined to allow just two walks (one by Holmes, one by McCaughan) while striking out 10. ... McCaughan is the first pitcher this season to go at least eight innings at Las Vegas Ballpark. He threw 103 pitches, 73 for strikes. ... Rainiers relief pitcher Brian Schlitter, who started the season with the Aviators before being released on May 23, picked up the save. After allowing a single to Schwindel leading off the ninth, Schlitter got Allen to bounce into a double play and retired Wilson on a groundout.

ON DECK: Aviators right-hander Paul Blackburn (2-2, 4.46 ERA) will attempt to rebound from a rare poor outing when he opposes Tacoma right-hander Robert Dugger (first start) in the third game of this six-game series. First pitch is at 7:05 p.m.

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Pacific Coast League Stories from June 19, 2021


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