PCL Las Vegas Aviators

Aviators Rally Late, Pull Away for 12-7 Victory over Isotopes

August 21, 2021 - Pacific Coast League (PCL)
Las Vegas Aviators News Release


The Aviators entered Friday's game against the Albuquerque Isotopes at Las Vegas Ballpark with the same attitude they've had pretty much the entire season: Just find a way to secure a late-game lead, and we're home free.

Why such a mindset? Because Las Vegas also entered Friday with a 36-4 record when leading after six innings ... and a spotless 36-0 record when leading after eight.

Alas, for the second consecutive night, the Aviators dug an early hole Friday, this time trailing 7-3 heading to the bottom of the sixth after falling behind 7-2 going to the bottom of the fifth the previous night. However, unlike on Thursday when they closed to within 7-6 before watching the Isotopes pull away for a 10-6 victory, the Aviators stormed all the way back, grabbed a late lead, then did what they've done all season in that situation: held on for the victory.

Catcher-turned-left fielder Carlos Pèrez smacked two home runs, third baseman Vimael Machín added two triples, and relief pitchers Ben Bracewell and Domingo Acevedo tossed three scoreless innings as Las Vegas rallied past Albuquerque 12-7 before a crowd of 7,615.

The Aviators (47-45) scored in each of their last four at-bats, including tallying nine unanswered runs from the sixth through the eighth innings to even the series with the Isotopes (42-49). The turning point came moments after the nightly rendition of "Take Me Out to the Ballgame," when Las Vegas followed a three-run sixth inning with a five-run bottom of the seventh.

The decisive inning started innocently enough, as center fielder Skye Bolt led off with a walk, then moved to third on a bloop single to center by first baseman Austin Allen. After designated hitter Khris Davis bounced into a fielder's choice, Pèrez beat out a dribbler up the third-base line to load the bases.

Catcher Aramis Garcia followed with a line-drive single that scored Bolt with the tying run and reloaded the bases. Then right fielder Luis Barrera stepped to the plate and delivered his third single in as many innings, this one driving in two runs to give Las Vegas its first lead of the night. Four pitches later, Machín tripled off the glove of Albuquerque center fielder Ryan Vilade, bringing home Garcia and Barrera.

Suddenly, the Aviators had turned their 7-3 deficit into an 11-7 lead. They would tack on an additional insurance run in the eighth inning when Bolt walked for the third time and scored on Davis' double to the center-field wall. That insurance run proved unnecessary, of course, as Acevedo followed Bracewell's two scoreless innings with one of his own, striking out Isotopes left fielder Nick Longhi to end the game.

With that, Las Vegas improved to 37-for-37 this season when leading after eight innings.

GAME NOTES: Pèrez (3-for-5, three runs, three RBI), Machìn (3-for-4, run walk, three RBI) and Barrera (3-for-4, two runs, two RBI) accounted for nine of the Aviators' 16 hits. ... Garcia (2-for-5, run, RBI), first baseman Austin Allen (2-for-4, run, RBI) and Davis (2-for-5, two runs, two RBI) also had multiple hits. ... With his solo homer in the second inning and two-run shot in the third, Pèrez overtook fellow catchers Allen and Francisco Peña for the team lead in home runs (20) and RBI (60), respectively. ... Allen has now hit safely in five straight games, 14 of his last 15 and 20 of his last 22. He also has an 11-game hitting streak at Las Vegas Ballpark, going 25-for-46 (.544) with six homers, five doubles, 15 RBI, 13 runs over that span. ... Barrera registered his fifth three-hit game of the season but his first since June 11. He also extended his hitting streak to six games, during which he's batting .435 (10-for-23). ... Machín preceded his seventh-inning triple with a triple in the fifth. He now has six three-baggers on the season, surpassing Barrera for the team lead. ... Davis has hit safely in five of seven games since joining the Aviators on August 12. He's batting .357 (10-for-28) with two home runs and eight RBI. ... Aviators infielder/outfielder Mickey McDonald replaced Allen as a pinch-runner in the bottom of the seventh inning. He grounded out in his only at-bat, snapping his six-game hitting streak. ... Second baseman Pete Kozma and shortstop Nick Allen each went 0-for-5 and were the only two Las Vegas starters who failed to record a hit. ... Aviators starting pitcher Daulton Jefferies surrendered all seven of the Isotopes' runs (six earned) in six innings. He allowed a season-high 12 hits, walked one and struck out four. ... The Isotopes have racked up 29 hits in the first two games of the series. After every Albuquerque batter recorded at least one hit Thursday, Longhi (0-for-5) was the only one who went hitless Friday.

PINDER UP, BROWN DOWN: As expected Friday, the Oakland A's (the Aviators' parent club) activated infielder/outfielder Chad Pinder's off the injured list and in a corresponding roster move optioned outfielder Seth Brown back to Las Vegas.

Pinder, who had been sidelined since July 8 with a strained hamstring, played in four games with Las Vegas this week as part of a rehab assignment, going 4-for-16 (.250) with a double, home run and seven RBI.

Brown spent most of this season in Oakland before being sent down to Las Vegas on August 1. He returned to Oakland five days later and went 8-for-33 (.242) with four home runs and seven RBI in 12 games. Brown, who hit a team-best 37 home runs for the Aviators in 2019, was 4-for-13 with a double, triple, three runs and an RBI in his brief three-game stint with Las Vegas earlier this month.

ON DECK: Kyle Friedrichs, who was recalled from Double-A Midland (Texas) on Friday, will make his second start of the season for the Aviators when he opposes Albuquerque's Ryan Castellani (3-7, 6.78) in a battle of right-handers. In his first career Triple-A start back on August 3, Friedrichs allowed five runs on six hits in two innings against Tacoma at Las Vegas Ballpark. He's 4-3 with a 4.36 ERA in 15 games (13 starts) for Midland.

First pitch is at 7:05 p.m., with the first 2,000 fans through the turnstiles receiving a free Aviators T-shirt (presented by STN/Station Casinos).

Note that Saturday's radio broadcast will move from its usual home (Raider Nation Radio 920-AM) to Fox Sports Radio 98.9-FM/1340-AM.

Follow us on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook @AviatorsLV. Follow Aviators beat writer Matt Jacob on Twitter @MattRJacob.

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