Aviators Return Home, Eye Showdown with El Paso

Looking at the Pacific Coast League's Pacific Southern division through an aeronautical lens, the El Paso Chihuahuas have been kicking back in the captain's chair and cruising on auto pilot for the better part of three months. This week, though, the Aviators have an opportunity to not only create a little turbulence, but perhaps even wrestle control of the division and nudge the Chihuahuas to the co-pilot seat.
With El Paso (61-40) holding a three-game division lead over second-place Las Vegas, the two teams are set to kick off a six-game home-and-home series Tuesday night at Las Vegas Ballpark. After the Aviators (58-43) host three games to begin the week, the scene will shift to Southwest University Park in El Paso, Texas, for a three-game weekend series.
From the Aviators' perspective, the situation is as clear as the visibility on a cloudless day: Play really well this week, and they'll at least remain within striking distance of El Paso and perhaps even climb back atop the standings for the first time since late April. Play poorly, and they'll have to climb out of a deep hole in the final month of the season to make the playoffs.
The good news for Las Vegas is it enters Tuesday's series opener with some positive momentum. After going 4-3 on their just-concluded road trip to Tacoma and Salt Lake, the Aviators have now won 17 of their last 25 games, going 8-2 at home during that stretch. Conversely, El Paso has been spinning its wheels of late, going 11-10 since June 29.
The potential bad news? As good as the Aviators have been on the road this season (31-21), the Chihuahuas have been significantly better - in fact, their 36-16 record away from El Paso is tops in the PCL. That includes five victories in as many games at Las Vegas Ballpark, all of which came in late April when the Chihuahuas outscored the Aviators 54-30 and took firm control of first place in the division. That five-game sweep came three weeks after Las Vegas opened the season in El Paso and won four of five games by the combined score of 48-37.
The results of those two series not only underscore just how evenly matched these teams are, but also highlight their similarities. Consider these numbers:
 
- Both teams are better on the road than at home, where the Aviators are 27-22 and El Paso is 25-24.
- Las Vegas leads the PCL in batting average (.299), hits (1,076), RBI (671) and on-base percentage (.372). El Paso ranks second in batting average (.297), hits (1,074) and RBI (669), and third in on-base percentage (.367)
- The Chihuahuas lead the PCL in runs scored (702), slugging percentage (.539) and OPS (.905). The Aviators rank second in runs scored (697), slugging percentage (.521) and OPS (.893).
- Las Vegas leads the PCL in doubles (240) and triples (45). El Paso leads the league in home runs (205).
- The Aviators have six active players batting .307 or better and have seven active players with 10 or more home runs. The Chihuahuas have seven active players batting .300 or better and also have seven players with 10 or more homers.
- Lastly, on the mound, El Paso ranks eighth in the PCL with a 5.27 team ERA, while Las Vegas is ninth at 5.40, and both pitching staffs sport a 1.50 WHIP.
Translation: The next six games figure to be high scoring, closely contested and incredibly tense.
SERIES DETAILS: As part of Minor League Baseball's Copa de la Diversión ("Fun Cup") series, the Aviators will once again celebrate local Hispanic/Latino culture when they don their Reyes de Plata (Silver Kings) jerseys in Tuesday's series opener. Las Vegas is 7-0 when playing as the Reyes de Plata this season, including 5-0 at home.
Right-hander Jake Buchanan (3-6, 6.23 ERA) will start for Las Vegas on Tuesday, while El Paso will go with right-hander Bryan Mitchell (0-1, 13.50). On Wednesday, Sean Manea, who is on a rehab assignment from the Oakland A's, will oppose Dillon Overton (5-4, 6.78) in a clash of southpaws, while right-hander James Naile (2-0, 4.41) is slated to start Thursday's finale against Chihuahuas lefty Dietrich Enns (9-6, 5.99).
First pitch for all three games is 7:05 p.m.
ROAD WARRIORS: Although the Aviators fell 8-1 in Sunday's series finale at Salt Lake, they still escaped with another winning road trip, splitting four games in Tacoma before taking two of three in Utah. Las Vegas has now won or split 11 of 13 road series this season, including the last five in a row.
The last time the Aviators came out on the short end of a road series was when they dropped two of three in Nashville from June 12-14 - and those two defeats were by scores of 2-0 and 3-2.
NEUSE STILL MAKING NOISE: Aviators third baseman Sheldon Neuse enjoyed a productive road trip, hitting safely in five of the seven games. Going back to June 13, Neuse has hit safely in 28 of 34 games, going 69-for-167 (.413 average) with 14 doubles, 11 HRs, 37 RBI and 43 runs scored.
During this stretch, the 24-year-old has raised his season average from .270 to .313. He now leads his team in runs scored (74) and RBI (77), is tied for first in walks (41), ranks second in hits (115) and doubles (25), and third in home runs (18, one behind co-leaders Seth Brown and Dustin Fowler).
OUTFIELDERS HITTING IT BIG: Mark Payton, who won PCL Offensive Player of the Week honors for July 8-14 after leading the league with five home runs and nine RBI, cracked two more long balls during the road trip, giving him seven homers and 15 RBI in his last nine games played. Since June 25, Payton has hit safely in 16 of the 19 games in which he's had an official at-bat, going 25-for-66 (.379) with eight HR, 21 RBI and 16 runs.
Meanwhile, fellow outfielders Fowler and Nick Martini are also running hot. Fowler has hit safely in three straight games and seven of his last eight, during which he's 13-for-35 (.371) with four homers, six RBI and eight runs. Martini hit safely in each of the final five games on the road trip, going 7-for-17 with three walks and four runs.
DOWN IN THE PEN: Riordan will undoubtedly be calling upon his bullpen to record some big outs this week against El Paso's potent offense. Three relievers who figure to be at the top of his list are Kyle Finnegan, Kyle Lobstein and Trey McNutt, all of whom are throwing exceptionally well right now.
Finnegan, who was promoted from Double-A Midland on June 23, is in the midst of a streak of four consecutive scoreless appearances spanning 5 2/3 innings in which he's allowed just four baserunners (two hits and two walks) while striking out nine. Overall for Las Vegas, the right-hander is 2-0 with a 1.84 ERA and two saves in nine relief appearances (14 2/3 innings).
Lobstein has logged three straight scoreless appearances, allowing six hits and no walks while striking out five in 5 1/3 innings. Finally, McNutt has yielded just four hits, two walks and a hit batter while fanning seven in his last six appearances, covering 6 1/3 innings.
Combined, the trio has pitched 17 1/3 consecutive scoreless innings, allowing just 17 baserunners while striking out 21.
THIS AND THAT: Aviators infielder Corban Joseph continues to lead the PCL with a .375 batting average, seven points better than Albuquerque's Yonathan Daza. … Shortstop Jorge Mateo has struggled to find his stroke since the All-Star break, going 3-for-29 with just three RBI and 14 strikeouts. … Las Vegas likely won't have to face talented El Paso second baseman/shortstop Luis Urías, who was recalled by the San Diego Padres on Saturday. Urias was hitting .315 with 19 homers, 50 RBI and 62 runs for the Chihuahuas. In nine games against the Aviators this season, he was 16-for-42 (.381) with two doubles, two triples, seven home runs (six of which were hit at Las Vegas Ballpark), 12 RBI and 14 runs. … Las Vegas continues to play extremely well during early and mid-week games, while struggling on weekends. For the season, the Aviators are an astounding 38-13 on Monday-Thursday but just 20-30 on Friday-Sunday
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