Aviators Fly Past Isotopes 7-5 for Second Straight Win
Ask anyone who has ever played or coached in the offensive friendly Pacific Coast League, and they'll tell you that the only way to win consistently is to have a pitching staff that bends more than it breaks. Despite their best efforts, the Las Vegas Aviators' hurlers have struggled to
Ask anyone who has ever played or coached in the offensive friendly Pacific Coast League, and they'll tell you that the only way to win consistently is to have a pitching staff that bends more than it breaks.
Despite their best efforts, the Las Vegas Aviators' hurlers have struggled to adhere to that philosophy over the past month. But if the last two games are any indication, the beleaguered staff just might be headed for a long-overdue positive shift in momentum.
One night after Jake Buchanan and two relievers held the Albuquerque Isotopes to two runs in a 9-2 victory,
The Aviators (26-21) staked Alexander to early leads of 2-0 and 6-2, knocking out Isotopes starting pitcher
But as much as the bullpen came through when it mattered most, the night truly belonged to Alexander, who not only pitched one of his better games of the season, but he did it on three days' rest.
Back-to-back rainouts in Salt Lake last weekend, followed by consecutive seven-inning makeup doubleheaders, meant one of the Aviators' starting pitchers would be asked to take the ball on short rest. That pitcher turned out to be Alexander, who started the back end of Saturday's doubleheader and suffered the 4-2 loss.
If Alexander was feeling any fatigue from the quick turnaround Wednesday, he certainly didn't show it. The southpaw struck out the side in the first, working around a one-out double and single. After the Aviators scored twice with two outs in the bottom of the first, Alexander retired the Isotopes in order in the second before allowing the tying runs to score in the third on three singles and a groundout. But with one out and the go-ahead run standing on third base, Alexander recorded consecutive strikeouts to end the threat.
Alexander retired the side in order once again in the fourth, this time on just eight pitches. But after giving up a leadoff walk in the fifth, he needed nine pitches to strike out Albuquerque leadoff hitter Yonathan Diaz. Sensing his pitcher was running out of gas after 79 pitches, Aviators manager Fran Riordan summoned Bracewell from the bullpen, costing Alexander a shot at his second victory.
The lack of a win was the only negative on the night for Alexander, who limited the Isotopes to those two third-inning runs on five hits and a walk, while striking out seven. The key stat for the 27-year-old was the one walk, as he had issued a combined seven free passes in his previous two starts.
While Alexander took care of business on the mound, the Aviators' offense got the job done at the plate, taking a 2-0 lead on
However, the Isotopes cut the 6-2 deficit in half in the sixth on
After being limited to a
That was all the extra help Schlitter would need. One night after pitching two scoreless innings to secure Las Vegas' 9-2 win in the series opener, the right-hander retired the Isotopes in order to pick up his eighth save and give the Aviators another victory - and, just as importantly, the pitching staff another much-needed shot of confidence.
Game Notes: Las Vegas has won consecutive games for the first time since a three-game winning streak from May 8-10 … Neuse (2-for-4, HR, run, 2 RBI), Joseph (2-for-3, run) and Payton (2-for-4, 2 RBI) all had multiple hits for the Aviators … In addition to drawing his team-leading 27th walk in the first inning, Las Vegas'
On Deck: Right-hander
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