FSM Essential Recap: Aviators vs Chihuahuas - Series 3

FSM Essential Recap: Aviators vs Chihuahuas – Series 3

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Las Vegas Aviators (9-9) | El Paso Chihuahuas (9-9)

 

Game 6

 

A 3-run 3rd and a 3-run 7th was the difference for El Paso yesterday, ending the series with a split in the 6-5 loss for the Aviators.

 

Zach Logue got the start in the final game of the series, matching up with El Paso’s Aaron Leasher for some daytime baseball. Trayce Thompson had three home runs in the series going into this game, and he looked to continue to step up as the best offensive player in AAA so far this season. The sun was out, and the ball was destined to travel; after two straight slow offensive games, both offensives looked to end the series with a bang. The crowd settled in just as noon struck, and the rest was history.

Logue would send down the Chihuahuas with ease in the first, allowing his team to strike first offensively. Ramon Laureno reached base by a hit by the pitch. He then put all kinds of pressure on Brett Sulivan while on the bases. He would steal third and force the throwing error from Sullivan, scoring for the game’s first run. El Paso would escape the inning without allowing a hit, but the scoring was opened early.

El Paso responded in the third inning after singles from the first two batters and eventually loaded the bases. Brett Sulivan cashed in two runs with a single, making up for his error by giving the Chihuahuas the lead. C.J. Hinojosa later brought in one more before Logue could finally escape the damage at 3-1 El Paso.

 

Leasher held the lead until the 5th inning, as Vegas began to string together some offense. Dalton Kelly led off the inning by blasting his first homer of the season to dead center, with Nate Mondou following by reaching scoring position. The tying run would be brought in by a blooper single from Luis Barrera, as it dropped in front of Liberato, the game was back to even. Nate Mondou followed up the next inning by giving the Aviators the lead with a run-scoring single as the Sunday afternoon began looking up for the Vegas Ballpark.

That feeling would not last long because EL Paso got it right back in the away 7th. Taylor Kohwley would double Matthew Batten to third base, setting up Aderlin Rodriguez to tie it up at 4 with a sacrifice fly. Trayce Thompson then stepped up and blasted his 8th home run of the season to left-center and his 4th of the series. The Aviators only went with two pitchers in this one, but Parker Dunshee could not believe Thompson got them again to go ahead 6-4.

That would be the deciding hit in the game yesterday, Shea Langeliers blasted his team-leading 5th homer of the season in the 8th, but that was it. Ian Krol came in for El Paso after the Langeliers dinger and got five straight batters out, four on strikeouts, to secure the win and the save in the final game. The Aviators fought hard all series, but the offense from Thompson practically forced the split.

 

Game 6 Box Score

 

WP: Evan Miller (1-0)

LP: Parker Dunshee (0-1)

SV: Ian Krol (2)

HR: Aviators – Dalton Kelly (1), Shea Langeliers (5),  Chihuahuas – Trayce Thompson (8)

 

 

 

Game 5

 

A pivotal 4-run 8th inning was a big difference for the Aviators last night in the 5-2 win over El Paso.

 

Collin Wiles got the start in front of the loud home crowd; even the series in the win column was a deciding game.  Luis Barrera is hitting .370 on the season, leading off last night against El Paso’s Luke Westphal. Westphal is having a phenomenal season on the bump for his organization. The Vegas offense knew they had more difficult pitching to face.

Wiles allowed two baserunners in the first but would escape the jam thanks to a run-saving play by Vimael Machin at short. Luis Barrera tested Brett Sulivan’s arm in the home half after walking, thrown out attempting to steal.  No momentum could be found by either offense in the middle innings. Both starters would have it scoreless heading into the 5th.

Westphal only allowed two hits to the Aviators in his first four innings before being replaced finally in the 5th. This did nothing for the Vegas offense that particular inning, being sent down in order, but it began clicking in the 6th. Luis Barrera put his team in a great position by doubling down the line, setting up Machin to drive in the game’s first run. His run-scoring single was an infield hit, a fitting way for this quick game to open the scoring.

RBI double Fernandez 🔥🔥

Aviators 2, Chihuahuas 0 pic.twitter.com/JdvyMcWojP

— Las Vegas Aviators (@AviatorsLV) April 24, 2022

The score would not change until the 8th, with the Aviators sending the Chihuahuas down in order for two straight innings. What seemed like another uneventful inning in the game last night turned the corner at the last second. The first two hitters would be sent down by strikeout for Vegas before a seemingly harmless walk by Barrera changed the course. Vince Fernandez then doubled him all the way around for another run, later scoring in the inning thanks to a Shea Langeliers single.

Two runs in the inning were not enough for the Aviators. Eric Thames would later break things open with a two-run double. Now up 5-0, the Aviators were three outs away from reclaiming the upper hand in the series.

Those three outs didn’t come as easy as some would’ve thought. A two-run dinger by Brett Sullivan would erase the shutout. The Aviators didn’t let this bring them down, and Parker Markel would escape after allowing more baserunners following the homer. Taylor Kewley pooped up for the final out, and the Aviators secured the win to get them back over .500.

 

Game 5 Box Score

 

WP: Collin Wiles (2-1)

LP: Tyler Higgins(0-2)

HR: Chihuahuas – Brett Sulivan (1)

 

 

 

Game 4

 

The offense was nowhere to be found until the final innings last night for the Aviators, resulting in the 5-2 loss to El Paso.

 

So much seemed to be in store last night for these two teams; the series has been one for the books. Ryan Weathers and Jared Koenig were the starting matchup on the hill, with Weathers trying to trim his era down from 8 for the Chihuahuas.

It was uneventful until the first few innings for the two clubs, with nobody collecting a hit until the bottom of the 2nd. Vince Hernandez singled Dermis Garcia into scoring position after he walked, but Weathers would send the following three down and pick off Garcia. This kept it scoreless, and both sides went down with ease in the third.

Koenig faced trouble in the away 4th but would strike his way out of a runner in scoring position. The Aviators left two runners on in their half of the inning, a big reason they’ve started to slow down in the series. Through four games, Vegas has left 16 runners on base and seven in scoring position.

Now THAT’S an athlete 😱

Chihuahuas 5, Aviators 1 pic.twitter.com/nddbzCYiUM

— Las Vegas Aviators (@AviatorsLV) April 23, 2022

El Paso would finally take advantage of the offensive struggles arising for the Aviators in the 5th. Trayce Thompson continues to prove he’s still capable of getting back to who he was on the Dodgers back in 2016. He would send Nomar Mazara for a trot around the bases by blasting his 7th home run of the season, breaking open the score to 2-0.  The Aviators responded by leaving Nate Mondou and Buddy Reed on base after they both singled in the home half of the inning.

Vegas would hold the 2-run deficit until the 7th before Thompson set the table by singling Mazara into scoring position. C.J. Hinojosa would double in El Paso’s third run before a groundout brought in one more to make it 4-0 Chihuahuas. As the slow night continued at The Vegas Ballpark, Taylor Kohlwey brought in one more thanks to an R.B.I. single in the 8th.

As fans began exiting the seats, the Aviators got a surprise run to get themselves on the board. Luis Barrera would enforce a balk from the opposition while on third base, leaving the home crowd with no choice but to applaud sarcastically.

JJ Schwarz then sent the fans who stayed for the ninth home with some satisfaction, blasting a solo shot to dead center. That would be all for the inning, but Schwarz made sure his first of the season was not cheap. The 6-game series is now even in the win column, and the Aviators look to start up the trend of two in a row tomorrow.

 

Game 4 Box Score

 

WP: Grant Gavin (2-0)

LP: Jared Koenig (0-2)

HR: Aviators– JJ Schwarz (1), Chihuahuas – Trayce Thompson (7)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Game 3

 

The Chihuahuas had a clutch top of the ninth, scoring three runs, leading to the 6-5 loss for the Aviators last night.

 

Adrian Martinez was the starter for the Aviators last night, and he looked for a bounce-back game after a rough first two outings. Another great night of baseball was in store, and Aviator Nation already had  $2 beer night to celebrate.  It was another windy night as well at the Vegas Ballpark. Both offenses had that at the top of their mind.

Both sides would go in order in the first two innings, with El Paso’s Jesse Scholtens continuing his fine campaign by retiring the first six.

The Chihuahuas got things going in the top of the third offensively with two baserunners that led to the damage. Domingo Leyba would score on a wild pitch before Eguy Rosario and Aderlin Rodriguez each singled in runs. With Vegas down 3-0, Nate Mondou broke the Aviators into the hit column, but Scholtens would escape the home third.

Mondou got a better crack at it in the 4th, singling in two runs to bring it to a one-score game. Marty Bechina followed up Mondou in the 5th by blasting a solo shot to right to tie things up. The crowd roared upon impact, and there was never really a doubt. Scholtens would escape the inning, but his night would end there.

AND WE’RE TIED 👏

Marty Bechina gets his first hit and first HR of the season and we’re tied 3-3 pic.twitter.com/PMsTcUBfsK

— Las Vegas Aviators (@AviatorsLV) April 22, 2022

The game would remain tied until the 9th, with both bullpens posting three clutch scoreless innings. Vegas left five key baserunners on without scoring during the sequence, leading to a damaging top of the ninth.

Trayce Thompson would blast his 6th home run early in the season to give El Paso the lead. What made it even worse was a fielding error at first by Dermis Garcia, the next batter. After Brett Sulivan reached, C.J. Hinojosa also connected on a long dinger that stunned the home crowd.  His first of the year cleared right-center and put the opposition up by 3.

All credit should be given to the Aviator’s offense last night. They truly put their best effort into coming back in the home ninth. After Luis Barrera tripled following a leadoff strikeout, Machin would get another R.B.I. in the series on the sac fly. Shea Langeliers then stepped up and hammered a solo shot to dead center, and it was back to a one-run game.

Tayler Scott then came in to close it out and walked the first two Vegas hitters. It came down to the wire, but Dalton Kelly couldn’t come through in the critical moment we all dream about in the backyard. He would strike out, and the nailbiter was over. El Paso secured their first win of the series.

 

 

Game 3 Box Score

 

WP: Heath Fillmyer (2-1)

LP: Gabe Klobosits (8-7)

SV: Taylor Scott (1)

HR: Aviators– Marty Bechina (1), Shea Langeliers (4),  Chihuahuas – Eguy Rosario (2), Luis Liberato (2)

 

 

 

 

Game 2

 

The Las Vegas Aviators were walked seven times in the 7th, posting a nine spot in the inning to coast to the 12-5 win in Game 2.

 

James Kaprielian got the start for the Aviators last night, looking for a better opening than game 1. It was “Bring your dog to the park” night for The Vegas Ballpark last night, with the sight of the stadium leaving the high possibility of another great game.

A leadoff triple for Matthew Batten set things up for Eguy Rosario to follow. The two hitters would blast a no-doubt 2-run shot off the back wall in left-center, the ball deflected back on the field, and it was 2-0 just like that. Two more runners would reach, but Kaprielian would get out of the inning before it could worsen. Vimael Machin responded with a laser solo shot to bring it to 2-1 in the home first, and the offense was rolling on both sides.

The Aviators used the bottom of the third to tie things back up, banding together two baserunners in scoring position.  Machin would drive in a run with a groundout before El Paso could escape more damage. Luis Liberato proceeded to get the run right back for the Chihuahuas in the 4th, doubling in a run deep down the right-field line. They would add on one more in the fifth, thanks to a Luis Campusano single, before slowing down offensively in the remaining innings.

Machin was the guy offensively last night for Vegas. He would bring it to a one-run game with a rbi double in the home 5th. His 3rd run driven in last night set the tone, but El Paso would get out of the inning with the lead intact. Brian Howard relieved the starter by going four solid innings, holding El Paso before Vegas could finally takeover at the plate.

What a web gem from Marty Bechina! 👏

The Aviators are holding steady in the 8th, up 12-5 pic.twitter.com/iJvnH1L5ZV

— Las Vegas Aviators (@AviatorsLV) April 21, 2022

The 7th inning was a nightmare last night for the Chihuahuas. The Aviators would have the bases loaded immediately after the stadium stretched. An errant pitch to the backstop would have it tied before Eric Thames drove in the go-ahead run with a single. This forced Jordan Brin into the game for El Paso, but he failed to calm things down by walking in a run before allowing three more in behind. There were seven walks in the inning over three pitchers, allowing the Aviators to put up a commanding nine spot in the inning.

The stage was completely set for the rest of the night. One more home run by Liberato made no difference. Machin ended his night with three hits and four driven in. The lack of control in the 7th inning completely demoralized El Paso, while the Aviators racked up another dominant win.

 

 

Game 2 Box Score

 

WP: Brian Howard (3-0)

LP: Kyle Tyler (0-1)

HR: Aviators– Vimael Machin (1),  Chihuahuas – Eguy Rosario (2), Luis Liberato (2)

 

 

 

Game 1

 

The Las Vegas Aviators opened their 6-game series against the El Paso Chihuahuas with a walk-off 2-run home run for a 9-7 win Monday night.

 

 

Wind can be a hitter’s best friend, and there was plenty of it last night at The Las Vegas Ballpark. After splitting the six-game series with Salt Lake City last week, the Aviators returned home to take on the El Paso Chihuahuas. Known as the windy city in mid-April, Vegas welcomed El Paso for the first game of a six-game series. Parker Dunshee got the start for Vegas, looking to find his 2018 form and go back to impressing the front office.

It was one mistake in the first inning for Dunshee that set the tone for both offenses. Nomar Mazara took advantage of the first two runners reaching and blasted a three-run shot to give El Paso the early lead. Dunshee would settle down and keep it at a 3-run deficit.

Mike Clevinger got the start for the Chihuahuas; his big-league experience is not something the Aviators haven’t experienced before. Dermis Garcia greeted him with a solo shot to lead off the bottom of the second, bringing it to a 2-run game. Dunshee appeared to have settled in after getting the first two outs at the top of the fourth, but more trouble lay ahead. Trayce Thompson would get the run back by hammering a solo shot the other way to make it 4-1. Thompson already has his 5th in the season.

Garcia led off the bottom of the fourth with another home run, his way of stepping up to shut down the opponent’s momentum. It was the first two homers of the season for Garcia, breaking out at the right time. The Aviators would bring it to a one-run game in the inning thanks to a Nate Mondou‘s rbi-single, leaving Jared Sandberg wishing he never took out Clevinger.

Dunshee would settle in for six innings to finish his start, allowing Vegas to ultimately tie it with a rbi-single from Dalton Kelly in the 5th.  Dermis Garcia would collect another extra-base hit in the bottom of the 7th, doubling to get the go-ahead run in scoring position. Vimael Machin drove a single to put the Aviators on top 6-4. Ray Kerr came in for El Paso to escape the bases-loaded jam, but the damage was already done.

So the Aviators had the lead. What could go wrong now? Chester Pimental came in for Vegas hoping to set it up for the 9th, even getting the first out on one pitch. After two walks and a hit by pitch, the Chihuahuas would band together for two runs to even the score right back up at 7. After Aaron Brown relieved Pimental after loading the bases, he made the costly error of throwing away a pickoff attempt to allow a third run in and gave El Paso the lead before escaping the inning.

It came down to the bottom of the ninth for the Aviators. Dermis Garcia tied the game in the 8th with a run-scoring single for his 4th hit of the night. Last night, the Aviators had 18 hits, so a walk-off was looming. After Parker Markel sent El Paso down in order, Nate Mondou led off the inning with a single for his second hit. It didn’t come down to bringing Mondou in because Luis Barrera stepped up and launched a walk-off two-run shot, sending his first pitch in the direction of the pool and giving Vegas a reason to jump in celebration. It was a great way to start the series, with the Aviators walking off in complete confidence for the games to come.

 

 

Game 1 Box Score

 

WP: Parker Markel (3-0)

LP: Tyler Higgins (0-1)

HR: Aviators– Dermis Garcia 2(2), Luis Barrera (2),  Chihuahuas – Nomar Mazara (1), Trayce Thompson (5)

 

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– Duncan Dye 

Follow Duncan on Instagram @duncandyefsm  

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