Khris Davis blasts walk-off three-run homer, Aviators topple Isotopes 13-11 in 10 innings

The Aviators and Albuquerque Isotopes gave baseball fans their money’s worth (and then some) in the first three games of their six-game series at Las Vegas Ballpark, combining for 49 runs and 75 hits. Then on Sunday, the Triple-A West foes yet again gave fans their money’s worth — as well as an all-time classic.

With his team trailing by a run and down to his final strike in the bottom of the 10th inning, designated hitter Khris Davis — who had been hitless in his five previous at-bats — crushed a three-run, walk-off homer to lead the Aviators to a stunning 13-11 victory over Albuquerque before what remained of a crowd of 5,469.

Las Vegas (49-45) has now won three straight games and six of its last seven to climb four games over .500 for the first time all season. And all it took to get there was a beer-league softball type of game that lasted nearly four hours and had more plot twists than a Stephen King novel.

Those twists included the Aviators racing out to a 7-0 lead after four innings; the Isotopes storming all the way back and grabbing an 8-7 lead less than four innings later; the two teams blowing an opportunity to win the game in regulation; and the two teams tallying one-quarter of their 24 combined runs in an absolutely bonkers 10th inning.

Here’s how that decisive inning played out:

• After seeing the potential go-ahead run get thrown out at the plate to end the top of the ninth inning, Albuquerque (42-51) went to work quickly against normally reliable Aviators relief pitcher Aaron Brown, who entered Sunday having allowed just one earned run in 13 2/3 innings since being called up from Double-A Midland (Texas) on July 24.

With second baseman Taylor Snyder starting the 10th on second base per Minor League Baseball’s pace-of-play extra-innings rule, catcher Chris Rabago promptly greeted Brown with an RBI single, and center fielder Wynton Bernard followed with an RBI double. Brown then settled down and needed just seven more pitches to avoid further trouble, as left fielder Nick Longhi struck out, Bernard was thrown out trying to steal third and shortstop Eric Stamets grounded out.

• Suddenly facing their biggest deficit of the night and down to their final two outs, the Aviators pulled to within 11-10 when third baseman Mickey McDonald capped his 5-for-5 night with a one-out single that barely got past Snyder and rolled into center field. The hit brought Buddy Reed home from second base, where he started the inning.

Isotopes right-hander Justin Lawrence then struck out center fielder Skye Bolt on a 3-2 pitch for the second out, but first baseman Francisco Peña kept the game alive with a soft single to right field that sent the speedy McDonald to third base.

• That set the stage for Davis, who walked to the batter’s box as the only Las Vegas starter without a hit. The veteran outfielder/designated hitter who entered the game with a .444 batting average since joining the Aviators on August 12, had flied out in the first, grounded out in the second, hit into a double play in the fourth, struck out in the sixth and — with the go-ahead run 90 feet away in an 8-8 tie — struck out again in the eighth.

After quickly falling behind in the count 0-2, Davis took Lawrence’s ensuing three pitches for balls, then launched the next one soaring toward the scoreboard in left-center field for a no-doubt, walk-off three-run homer.

By the time Davis circled the bases and was mobbed by his teammates at home plate, he had given the Aviators their seventh extra-innings victories in as many tries this season. Additionally, Las Vegas improved to 13-3 on Sundays this year (including winning the last five in a row and nine of the last 10), and 38-4 when leading after six innings.

The Aviators also handed Albuquerque its first three-game losing skid since late June — and gave themselves a chance at their first four-game winning streak in exactly two months when they once again face Albuquerque at Las Vegas Ballpark on Monday night.

GAME NOTES: The Aviators tallied 18 hits and have amassed 46 hits during their three-game winning streak. … In addition to going 5-for-5 for the first time in his brief Triple-A career, McDonald scored three runs, had two RBI and had two of his team’s season-high five stolen bases. … Besides McDonald, Bolt (2-for-6, three-run homer), Peña (2-for-5, two RBI), catcher Carlos Pèrez (2-for-4, solo homer), left fielder Marty Bechina (2-for-4, solo homer) and second baseman Nate Mondou (2-for-6, two runs, RBI) had multiple hits for Las Vegas. … The Aviators scored six runs before making their first six outs, tallying a run in the first and five in the second before tacking on another one in the fourth for their 7-0 lead. Meanwhile, the Isotopes didn’t pick up their first hit until two outs in the fourth inning, but they scored six runs in the fifth — all off Las Vegas starting pitcher Brian Howard — then added single runs in the sixth, seventh and eighth innings to grab a 9-8 lead. … Howard struck out five and walked only one while allowing just the one hit through his first four innings. … The teams combined to use 13 pitchers, who stuck out 20 hitters but allowed 32 hits, including six home runs. … Perez is 7-for-13 with three homers, four RBI and six runs scored in the last three games. He now has a team-high 21 home runs (two more than fellow catcher Austin Allen). … With his first-inning single and eighth-inning sacrifice fly, Peña took over the team’s RBI lead with 62, one more than Pèrez. Peña is 6-for-12 in the series. … Right fielder Luis Barrera (1-for-5, run) extended his hitting streak to eight games, during which he’s batting .438 (14-for-32). … The Isotopes have 55 hits in the series, including 15 doubles, two triples and seven home runs. They’ve racked up double-digit hits in all four games. However, Albuquerque has struggled defensively, committing six errors, including three on Sunday. … Las Vegas is now 7-3 against the Isotopes this season.

ON DECK: The Aviators will go with a “bullpen game” on Monday, with right-handed reliever Argenis Angulo (2-1, 9.72 ERA) expected to start. Albuquerque is slated to counter with right-hander Dereck Rodriguez (3-3, 7.30) on another “Mutt Monday” at Las Vegas Ballpark.

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