PCL1 Las Vegas Aviators

Aviators Come up Short against Chihuahuas, 5-3

July 25, 2019 - Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Las Vegas Aviators News Release


In their first 11 meetings this season, the Aviators and El Paso Chihuahuas not only crossed home plate an astounding 184 times, but they tallied at least 14 runs in every game. So the odds that the 12th meeting would be a pitcher's duel were about as likely as a July blizzard on the Las Vegas Strip.

Sure enough, the Pacific Coast League's top two offenses were at it again Wednesday night at Las Vegas Ballpark, combining for eight runs (including four home runs) halfway through the contest. Then the equivalent of that blizzard hit, as both pitching staffs took control and tossed scoreless baseball the rest way.

Unfortunately for the Aviators, El Paso scored five of those eight early runs and held on for a 5-3 victory before a crowd of 7,665. With the win, the Chihuahuas (62-41) evened the three-game series, improved to 7-5 against the Aviators this season (including 6-1 in Las Vegas) and boosted their lead in the PCL's Pacific Southern division back to three games.

Early on, it certainly appeared like Las Vegas (59-44) would capitalize on the momentum from Tuesday's 9-6 victory in the series opener. Not only did third baseman Sheldon Neuse stake his team to a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first with his 19th home run - a towering solo shot to left field - but southpaw Sean Manaea dominated El Paso's potent lineup in the early going.

Making his third rehab start (and first for Las Vegas) as he works his way back from offseason shoulder surgery, Manaea retired seven of the first eight Chihuahuas he faced, striking out five while allowing just a first-inning bloop single that barely cleared the outstretched glove of shortstop Jorge Mateo.

But Manaea couldn't put away El Paso's No. 9 hitter, Esteban Quiroz, who lofted a 2-1 pitch to right field that found the jet stream and cleared the wall for a game-tying solo homer. Manaea then retired Michael Gettys for the second out, but Travis Jankowski followed with a double that glanced off the glove of Aviators right fielder Skye Bolt, who made a valiant dive for the ball but landed awkwardly on his wrist and was forced to leave the game with an injured left thumb.

After Josh Naylor walked on four pitches, cleanup hitter Ty France crushed a three-run homer to left field to give El Paso a 4-1 lead.

Las Vegas got two of the runs back in the bottom of the inning on Mark Payton's RBI double and Neuse's two-out RBI single off El Paso starter Dillon Overton (6-4). But Gettys provided Overton an insurance run when he led off the fifth with his team's third homer of the game off Manaea (0-1), a majestic blast to left-center field that exited the ballpark.

Overton and Chihuahuas relief pitcher Robbie Erlin took over from there, combining to retire 12 of 14 Aviators hitters from the fourth through the eighth innings. But with one out in the bottom of the eighth, Seth Brown singled to right field off Erlin, and one pitch later Corban Joseph ripped a double into the left-center field gap.

As the ball rolled to the wall, Brown raced around the bases, and while the relay throw from El Paso shortstop Matthew Batten to catcher Austin Allen beat Brown to home plate, the Aviators' cleanup hitter appeared to get his hand down on the plate ahead of Allen's tag. But umpire Cody Oaks saw it differently and called Brown out. Furious at what he perceived was a blown call, Brown slammed his helmet to the ground, and Oaks immediately ejected him from the game.

El Paso manager Edwin Rodriguez then replaced Erlin with hard-throwing reliever Trey Wingenter, and the 6-foot-7 right-hander struck out Eric Campbell to strand Joseph at second and end the Aviators' threat.

The Chihuahuas had a chance to add to their lead in the ninth, loading the bases with one out against Las Vegas right-hander Ryan Dull. But Dull got out of the jam by striking out Gettys and Jankowski. Whatever momentum boost Las Vegas received from Dull's escape job was quickly snuffed out by Wingenter, who retired the side in order in the bottom of the ninth to nail down his first save and even the critical three-game series.

GAME NOTES: Following the game, Aviators manager Fran Riordan said Bolt didn't fracture his thumb on his diving attempt, but was extremely sore. He's considered day-to-day. ... After giving up the home run to Gettys in the fifth, Manaea struck out Jankowski, then was lifted for reliever Kyle Lobstein. Manaea, who was on an 80-pitch limit, gave up five runs (all earned) on five hits over 4 1/3 innings. He walked one, struck out seven and threw 48 of his 76 pitches for strikes ... Lobstein was sensational in relief of Manaea, allowing just two singles in 3 2/3 scoreless innings. ... Neuse (2-for-4, run, 2 RBI), Campbell (2-for-4) and Payton (2-for-4, run, RBI) all had multiple hits for Las Vegas. ... Overton earned the victory for El Paso, surrendering three runs on six hits and a walk while striking out three.

ROSTER NEWS: Aviators catcher Sean Murphy, who has been sidelined with a knee injury since April 29, was activated prior to Wednesday's game. Murphy, who missed a total of 77 games, started the season as the team's first-string catcher and was batting .324 with a homer, five doubles and nine RBI in 19 games prior to getting hurt.

Murphy, who is slated to start behind the plate against El Paso on Thursday, went 4-for-20 with a solo homer and eight runs scored during a seven-game rehab stint in the Arizona Instructional League that ended Tuesday.

In other roster news, right-handed pitcher Brian Howard has joined the Aviators from Double-A Midland, Texas. A 2017 eighth-round draft choice of the Oakland A's, Howard was 7-7 with a 2.97 ERA in 20 starts for Midland, posting a sterling 102-35 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 115 innings. Howard, who likely will make his first Triple-A start this weekend in El Paso, takes the roster spot of fellow right-handed pitcher James Naile, who was optioned to Midland after making three starts with Las Vegas.

ON DECK: The Aviators and Chihuahuas conclude their three-game series at 7:05 p.m. Thursday at Las Vegas Ballpark on $2 Beer Night. Following Thursday's contest, both teams will travel to El Paso for another three-game series Friday-Sunday.

Catch every Aviators game throughout the season on NBC Sports Radio 920-AM, and follow us on Twitter @AviatorsLV.

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Pacific Coast League Stories from July 25, 2019


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