Aviators, Express Complete Record-Breaking Series
In the opener of their three-game series Tuesday night, the Aviators and Round Rock Express combined for 28 runs and 32 hits in the highest-scoring game in the brief history of Las Vegas Ballpark. It was a record that lasted all of 48 hours.On a breezy Thursday night in which
In the opener of their three-game series Tuesday night, the Aviators and Round Rock Express combined for 28 runs and 32 hits in the highest-scoring game in the brief history of Las Vegas Ballpark.
It was a record that lasted all of 48 hours.
On a breezy Thursday night in which both teams combined for 19 extra-base hits (including nine home runs), the Express steamrolled the Aviators 26-11 before a sellout crowd of 9,767. The 37 combined runs not only established a record for Las Vegas Ballpark, they were the most runs scored in the 37-year history of Las Vegas' Triple-A franchise, breaking the previous mark of 35 set nearly 20 years ago to the day (June 8, 1999).
Additionally, the 26 runs allowed by the Aviators were the most in franchise history, besting the previous record of 24 by the Phoenix Firebirds on May 26, 1986.
Including the Aviators' 19-9 victory on Tuesday and Round Rock's 11-5 win on Wednesday, the two teams combined for 81 runs on 90 hits (including 20 home runs) during a three-game series in which three position players were called upon to pitch.
As wild as the first two games seemed, they actually were tame compared with Thursday's record-setting slugfest. Among the zaniness:
- There was at least one run scored in every inning but the first.
- Three different players hit two home runs, four players had at least four RBI, and six players scored at least three runs.
- All 20 offensive players who got into the game scored at least one run and 18 had at least one hit.
- All nine pitchers who took the mound gave up at least two runs, with eight surrendering at least three.
The unquestioned player of the game for Las Vegas (33-28) was second baseman
Unfortunately for Las Vegas, Round Rock's
Difficult as it might be to believe given the final score, Thursday's contest actually was rather uneventful midway through, as the Express (36-24) led 5-1 after five innings. That lead moved to 6-3 in the sixth when Round Rock plated one run on
But that's when things went off the rails.
In the top of the seventh, the first 11 Express batters reached base safely, and by the time Joshua Rojas struck out for the final out, Round Rock had sent 19 men to the plate and scored 13 times to take a 19-3 lead. The Aviators countered with four runs in their half of the seventh, meaning the squads combined for 17 runs on 15 hits and five walks in a single inning.
Not wanting to burn any additional relief pitchers in a blowout game, Las Vegas manager Fran Riordan called upon infielders
Refusing to go down quietly, Las Vegas sent seven men to the plate in the bottom of the ninth and scored four times. Fittingly, Barreto accounted for the first run with his second homer of the game, while Joseph (RBI double) and Campbell (two-run homer) got some measure of revenge with a pair of run-scoring hits that produced the game's 35th, 36th and 37th runs - and a bit of history.
GAME NOTES: Prior to Thursday's game, the Oakland A's promoted Aviators relief pitcher
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