Aviators blow big early lead, lose fifth in a row

After four consecutive lackluster offensive performances — which greatly contributed to four consecutive defeats — the Aviators finally came out swinging (and connecting) against the Sacramento River Cats on Saturday at Las Vegas Ballpark.

Not only did Las Vegas treat a season-high crowd of 10,190 to five unanswered runs in the first three innings — matching its combined run total from the previous two games against Sacramento — but starting pitcher Daulton Jefferies had his way with a hot-hitting River Cats lineup that had tallied 22 runs and 29 hits in winning the first two games of a six-game series.

Staked to a 5-0 lead after the Aviators plated two runs in the second inning and three in the third, Jefferies toyed with Sacramento through four innings. Eight of the first 12 outs the right-hander recorded were strikeouts, and he made just one mistake, surrendering a one-out solo homer to River Cats first baseman Jason Vosler in the fourth inning.

For the second time in two weeks, it appeared likely that Las Vegas was going to halt a lengthy losing streak thanks in large part to Jefferies, who delivered a gem against the Tacoma Rainiers on Father’s Day in helping his team thwart a seven-game slide.

Unfortunately for Jefferies — as well as his teammates and the sellout crowd — the River Cats’ bats came to life in fifth inning … and the sixth … and the seventh. Over that three-inning stretch, Sacramento tagged Jefferies and four relievers for 14 runs and ended up coasting to a 14-8 victory. In the process, the River Cats handed Las Vegas its fifth straight defeat and seventh in its last eight games.

This setback was particularly difficult to swallow, because the Aviators — who managed just 10 runs in their previous four games — put the River Cats in an early chokehold. Second baseman Nate Mondou got things rolling with a two-run double with one out in the second, and an inning later first baseman Carlos Pérez followed catcher Austin Allen’s RBI groundout with a booming two-run triple high off the center-field wall, giving Las Vegas a 5-0 lead.

Jefferies gave one of those runs back in the top of the fourth when Vosler yanked his 2-0 pitch over the fence and onto the berm in right field, cutting the Aviators’ lead to 5-1. Despite that mistake, Jefferies appeared to be in firm control when he took the mound in the top of the fifth, having allowed just five baserunners on three hits, a walk and a hit batter.

After allowing a single and walk to start the fifth, Jefferies struck out River Cats center fielder/leadoff hitter Braden Bishop and seemed to be back on his game.

Then in a blink, everything went sideways.

After fanning Bishop, Jefferies yielded three straight singles, the last of which was Vosler’s two-run hit. By the time the inning ended, Jefferies was out of the game, Sacramento had sent nine men to the plate and the Aviators’ 5-1 lead was suddenly a 6-5 deficit.

Turns out the River Cats were just getting started, as they tacked on six runs in the sixth and two more in the seventh to stretch their lead to 14-5. Along the way, Sacramento’s pitchers retired 11 consecutive batters until one out in the bottom of the seventh, when the Aviators pushed across three runs thanks to designated hitter Cody Thomas’ RBI double and Allen’s two-out, two-run homer.

Any hopes of a miracle comeback were dashed, though, when River Cats relief pitchers Silvino Bracho and Trevor Gott tossed 2 1/3 scoreless innings to lock up their team’s eighth win in their last 12 games.

GAME NOTES: Allen (2-for-5, HR, three RBI), Thomas (2-for-4, double, walk, RBI) and Mondou (2-for-3, double, walk, two RBI) had multiple hits for Las Vegas. … Allen has now hit safely in 11 straight games. During his hitting streak, which is the longest for an Aviators’ batter this season, the veteran catcher is batting .354 (17-for-48) with three home runs and 10 RBI. ... Jefferies was charged with six runs (all earned) on seven hits and two walks in his 4 1/3 innings. However, his nine strikeouts were a season-high for Las Vegas. … The Aviators have been outscored 36-13 and outhit 44-18 through first three games of this series against Sacramento. … Las Vegas has tallied just 31 hits during its five-game losing skid. … The Aviators have dropped four in a row to Sacramento by the combined score of 41-17 after winning eight of the nine previous meetings by the combined tally of 68-52. Las Vegas still leads the season series 8-7, going 4-5 at Las Vegas Ballpark. … Through 27 dates at Las Vegas Ballpark this season, the Aviators have welcomed 169,388 fans (average of 6,274 per game).

TRANSACTION ACTION: Prior to Saturday’s game, the Oakland A’s optioned right-handed relief pitcher Domingo Acevedo back to the Aviators after promoting southpaw reliever Sam Moll from Las Vegas. Moll, who was acquired Friday in a trade with the Arizona Diamondbacks, never technically joined the Aviators.

Acevedo returns to Las Vegas after appearing in three games with Oakland, during which he allowed three runs on five hits with no walks and three strikeouts in three innings. Prior to his big-league promotion, Acevedo had been the Aviators’ most productive reliever, posting a 2.76 ERA and limiting opposing hitters to a .169 batting average in 15 appearances.

To make room for Acevedo, the A’s released right-hander Jordan Weems, who was 0-2 with a 7.36 ERA in 15 relief outings for Las Vegas.

ON DECK: Brian Howard (2-3, 5.40 ERA) will try to deliver his third straight quality start — and fifth in his last six outings — when he takes the mound for the Aviators in an Independence Day clash with Sacramento. Howard has pitched at least five innings and given up three earned runs or fewer in four of his last five starts, posting a 2.49 ERA in those four particular contests.

The River Cats are slated to counter with fellow righty Matt Frisbee (1-3, 6.57) in the fourth game of this six-game series, which boasts a special holiday start time of 4:05 p.m.

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