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PCL1 Las Vegas Aviators

Baby Cakes Top Aviators 11-4, Take Series Rubber Match

August 2, 2019 - Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Las Vegas Aviators News Release


As the calendar flipped to August on Thursday, the Aviators were right in the thick of the Pacific Coast League playoff race, just a game out of first place in the Pacific Southern Division. Conversely, the New Orleans Baby Cakes entered the final full month of the season 11 games back in the American Southern Division, and thus officially began playing the role of spoiler.

Much to the Aviators' chagrin, they played that role perfectly Thursday night.

New Orleans scored four times before Las Vegas even got a turn at bat and built leads of 5-0 and 8-2 on its way to an 11-4 victory before a crowd of 8,059 at Las Vegas Ballpark.

Mark Payton went 4-for-4 with a home run and two doubles for the Aviators (63-47), while Sheldon Neuse had two hits, including his 20th homer of the season. However, those efforts weren't nearly enough to keep Las Vegas from dropping the rubber match of the three-game series and falling two games back of first-place El Paso, which won 8-5 in Nashville.

New Orleans (57-51) pounded out 18 hits in the victory, with four different players - Magneuris Sierra (3-for-6, home run), Isan Diaz (3-for-5, run, RBI), Tyler Heineman (3-for-5, HR, double, 3 RBI) and Gabriel Guerrero (3-for-5, HR, double, 3 RBI) - each recording three hits. But the real star for the Baby Cakes was starting pitcher Cody Poteet, who completely stymied Las Vegas through the first six innings.

In fact, Neuse and Payton - batting back-to-back in the lineup - were the only Aviators to solve Poteet, as Neuse hit a solo homer in the second and Payton doubled in the second and homered in the fifth. Other than that, the only Las Vegas player to reach base through six innings was Eric Campbell, who walked in the third.

It wasn't until the seventh inning when the Aviators - trailing 8-2 - finally started to put some real pressure on Poteet (1-0). And once again, it was the Neuse-Payton combo that led the charge. With two outs, Neuse smacked a single to center, and Payton followed with a ground-rule double that barely landed inside the left-field line. Then Cameron Rupp blasted Poteet's first pitch to right-center for a double that scored Neuse and Payton to cut the Baby Cakes' lead to 8-4.

But Poteet escaped the jam when Campbell struck out looking on a questionable 3-2 pitch to end the threat. The right-hander's teammates then quickly recaptured momentum by scoring a run in the eighth and two more in the ninth to put away the game, clinch the series and spoil the Aviators' night.

GAME NOTES: Las Vegas has now lost four of its last five home games ... Neuse and Payton combined to go 6-for-8 and scored all four runs. The rest of the Aviators were a combined 2-for-26, with those hits belonging to Rupp and Dustin Fowler. ... With Neuse's homer, the Aviators now have four players with 20 or more dingers this season, the first time that's happened in the 37-year history of the Las Vegas franchise. Joining Neuse in the 20 home-run club are Seth Brown (27), Dustin Fowler (22) and Payton (21). ... Howard, who was making his second career Triple-A start, took the loss, allowing seven runs (six earned) on 10 hits in five-plus innings. The upside for the 6-foot-9 right-hander: After giving up four runs and five hits just six batters into the game, he retired 14 of the next 18 through the fifth inning. ... Neuse extended his hitting streak to nine games, during which he's 17-for-40 (.425) with two doubles, two homers, nine RBI and nine runs. Also, Payton stretched his hitting streak to six games, during which he's 14-for-25 (.560) with four homers, eight RBI and nine runs. The outfielder has had multiple hits in five of the six contests. ... On the flip side, Brown and Corban Joseph (both 0-for-4) had their hitting streaks snapped at eight and seven games, respectively. ... Stephen Piscotty went 0-for-4 and played nine innings in right field in his final game on a rehab assignment in Las Vegas. Piscotty, who went 7-for-23 with a homer and three RBI in four games with the Aviators, is expected to be activated by the Oakland A's before their home game Saturday against the St. Louis Cardinals.

TRANSACTION ACTION: Prior to Thursday's game, Aviators relief pitcher Brian Schlitter was activated, and infielder Trace Loehr was promoted from Class-A Stockton.

Schlitter had spent five weeks in the Oakland A's bullpen before being designated for assignment Monday because he was out of minor-league options. After clearing waivers, the veteran right-hander was sent back to Las Vegas, where he pitched in 27 games prior to his big-league promotion. Schlitter continues to lead the Aviators with 10 saves.

Loehr, a 24-year-old who was selected in the sixth round of the 2014 draft, had spent the entire season in Stockton, where he hit .291 with three homers and 39 RBI in 89 games. Loehr was second Stockton player promoted to Las Vegas in as many days, following the call-up of catcher Jordan Devencenzi.

Loehr and Devencenzi will provide depth on the bench, as the Aviators this week lost outfielder Nick Martini and catcher Beau Taylor to the big leagues, while catchers Jonah Heim and Sean Murphy and outfielder Skye Bolt are on the injured list.

It's likely that Loehr and Devencenzi won't be in Las Vegas long, as the A's will have to clear roster space to activate Piscotty as well as pitcher Tanner Roark, whom Oakland acquired Wednesday in a trade with the Cincinnati Reds. It's likely that Martini or shortstop Franklin Barreto will return to the Aviators to make room for Piscotty and a pitcher will be optioned to Las Vegas when Roark joins the A's.

INJURY UPDATES: Murphy was officially placed on the IL Thursday, while he awaits an official diagnosis on his injured left knee. Murphy left Tuesday's game in the seventh inning after hurting the same knee that required surgery in early May and sidelined the 24-year-old for nearly three months.

Aviators manager Fran Riordan said Murphy told him he felt better Thursday, but that they're awaiting word from the surgeon who repaired Murphy's torn meniscus on the severity of the latest injury.

Meanwhile, Bolt (sprained left thumb) took batting practice for the second straight day Thursday, and although he was eligible to come off the IL, Riordan said he's still not game-ready.

ON DECK: The Aviators open a four-game series against the Oklahoma City Dodgers at 7:05 p.m. Friday at Las Vegas Ballpark. Aviators right-hander Parker Dunshee (3-4, 6.12 ERA) will toe the rubber in the opener, while Oklahoma City - the top affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers - is slated to go with righty J.D. Martin (2-0, 3.75).

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