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PCL1 Las Vegas Aviators

Reyes de Plata Remain Perfect, Defeat El Paso 9-6

July 24, 2019 - Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Las Vegas Aviators News Release


The Aviators entered Tuesday's showdown against El Paso undefeated when donning their Reyes de Plata jerseys this season. They also entered the game winless against the first-place Chihuahuas at Las Vegas Ballpark. In other words, something had to give.

It wasn't the Reyes de Plata.

Designated hitter Seth Brown belted two home runs and five pitchers combined to hold the powerful Chihuahuas' offense in check as Las Vegas rallied for a 9-6 victory before 7,998 fans at Las Vegas Ballpark. With the win, the Aviators (59-43) improved to 18-8 in their last 26 games, including 9-2 at home, and moved to within two games of El Paso in the Pacific Coast League's Pacific Southern division.

As part of Minor League Baseball's Copa de la Diversión ("Fun Cup") series, which celebrates Latin/Hispanic culture in local communities, the Aviators transform into the Reyes de Plata (translated as "Silver Kings") during select Tuesday games throughout the season. And after taking down El Paso, they're now 8-0 as the Reyes de Plata, including 6-0 at home.

However, in the early going Tuesday night, it appeared as if El Paso - which swept a five-game series during its first trip to Las Vegas Ballpark in late April - would be the team extending a streak.

The Chihuahuas (61-41) jumped out to a 4-1 lead against Reyes de Plata starting pitcher Jake Buchanan, scoring twice in the first and third innings, sandwiched around Brown's solo homer leading off the second. But Las Vegas seized control of the game in the ensuing two innings when it scored seven unanswered runs.

Five of those runs came in the bottom of the third, when the Reyes de Plata sent 10 batters to the plate and racked up six hits against El Paso starter Bryan Mitchell. Once again, Brown delivered the big blow, crushing a two-out, two-run homer - his team-leading 21st of the season - that soared over the Hangar Bar in right-center field and nearly left the ballpark entirely. Prior to Brown's blast, Jorge Mateo and Corban Joseph drove in runs on a double and groundout, respectively, and Eric Campbell capped the scoring with a first-pitch RBI single.

After Buchanan retired the Chihuahuas in order in the top of the fourth on just eight pitches, Las Vegas went back to work against Mitchell (0-2), loading the bases when Dustin Fowler and Joseph reached safely on consecutive two-out singles and Brown walked. Sheldon Neuse then came up and laced Mitchell's 3-2 pitch to right field to drive in Fowler and Joseph, giving the Reyes de Plata an 8-4 lead while also running his team-leading RBI total to 79.

El Paso cut its deficit to 8-6 in the seventh inning when Michael Getty ripped a two-run homer to right-center off Jharel Cotton, who was making his third relief appearance for Las Vegas as part of a rehab assignment. But the Reyes de Plata got one of those runs back in the bottom of the inning when Campbell led off with a walk and scored on Mark Payton's one-out double high off the left-field wall.

The Chihuahuas tried to mount another rally in the eighth, putting runners on second and third on a double, walk and wild pitch by Las Vegas reliever Kyle Finnegan. But the right-hander struck out Travis Jankowski on a 3-2 pitch to end the threat. Then in the ninth inning, El Paso once again put runners on second and third, thanks to Josh Naylor's one-out single and Allen's two-out double, both off Reyes de Plata closer J.B. Wendelken.

That brought the tying run to the plate in the form of El Paso designated hitter Boog Powell, but Wendelken got out of the jam when Powell hit a comebacker to the mound, which the right-hander fielded easily and tossed to Campbell to end the game, pick up his first save, keep the Reyes de Plata perfect and inch his team closer to first place.

GAME NOTES: With Tuesday's win, Las Vegas manager Fran Riordan earned his 1,000 victory as a professional baseball skipper. ... Buchanan, who came into the game with an 8.10 ERA in two previous starts against El Paso, allowed four runs (two earned) on five hits and two walks while striking out three over four innings. ... A.J. Puk, who is recovering from Tommy John surgery, was promoted from Double-A Midland, Texas, and relieved Buchanan in the fifth. The hard-throwing southpaw pitched two near-perfect innings, allowing just a single to Naylor, who was erased on a double play. Puk struck out two, threw 13 of his 17 pitches for strikes and picked up the victory. ... Brown reached base in all five of his plate appearances, adding a double and a walk to his two homers. He also reached third base on Jankowski's fielding error in the seventh. Besides Brown, Mateo, Fowler, Joseph, Neuse and Payton all had multiple hits, with Joseph going 2-for-5 to raise his PCL-best batting average to .376. ... The only Las Vegas player not to record a hit was catcher Beau Taylor, who went 0-for-4 with a walk. ... Naylor and Allen combined to go 7-for-10 for the Chihuahuas with three doubles, a homer and four RBI.

TRANSACTION ACTION: Aviators outfielder Nick Martini was recalled by the Oakland A's on Monday, then optioned back to Las Vegas on Tuesday when the A's promoted pitcher Tanner Anderson for the second time this season. Martini appeared in Monday's 11-1 loss at Houston, but oddly enough as a pitcher. He took the mound in the eighth inning and retired the Astros in order, striking out one.

The A's needed Anderson, who was scheduled to start Tuesday's game against El Paso, because starting pitcher Brett Anderson (no relation) was placed on the paternity list. Tanner Anderson is expected to rejoin the Aviators when Brett Anderson is activated.

ON DECK: The Aviators and Chihuahuas continue their brief three-game series at Las Vegas Ballpark at 7:05 p.m. Wednesday. Sean Manaea, who is on a rehab assignment from the Oakland A's, will make his Las Vegas debut and oppose fellow left-hander Dillon Overton (5-4, 6.78).

Manaea, who is recovering from offseason shoulder surgery, made two rehab starts with Class-A Stockton, pitching 8 1/3 innings and going 0-2 with a 9.72 ERA. He'll pitch a maximum of five innings or 80 pitches Wednesday night.

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