Aviators look to extend winning streak in series opener vs. Isotopes

Imagine lacing up your sneakers, hopping on a treadmill, pushing “start” and walking nonstop for two months. Well, the Aviators don’t need to imagine it — because they’ve been living it.

Following a 14-6, series-ending victory over Tacoma at Las Vegas Ballpark on June 22, the Aviators were 21-21 and seven games behind first-place Reno in the Triple-A West standings. On Tuesday, Las Vegas wrapped up a six-game series in Tacoma with an 8-4 victory, pushing their record to 46-44 and putting them … seven games behind first-place Reno.

The silver lining in this run of mediocrity? Las Vegas hasn’t lost more than three games in a row since enduring a five-game slide from June 28-July 3. Conversely, though, the Aviators haven’t won more than three consecutive games since following their June 22 win over Tacoma with their fourth straight victory two days later (an 8-6 triumph in Salt Lake).

That could change tonight, when Las Vegas puts its three-game winning streak on the line in the opener of a six-game series against the Albuquerque Isotopes at Las Vegas Ballpark.

After dropping the first three games in Tacoma (by the combined tally of 20-9), the Aviators turned the tables on the Rainiers and posted three straight convincing wins by scores of 14-0, 7-4 and 8-4. It’s the fifth time in exactly two months that manager Fran Riordan’s club has enjoyed a three-game winning streak, but on each of the four previous occasions that fourth victory proved elusive.

There are two reasons to believe the Aviators finally will get over the hump tonight: The Isotopes (41-48) are seven games under .500, and Las Vegas took four of six meetings in Albuquerque back in early June. There’s also one reason to believe they won’t get over that hump: This is a completely different Isotopes team, one that has been running hot for six weeks.

Going back to July 9, Albuquerque is 22-13, including 11-6 on the road. The Isotopes started this 35-game stretch with a six-game winning streak, then tacked on a five-game winning streak from July 27-August 1 and haven’t once lost more than two in a row. In fact, Albuquerque hasn’t suffered a three-game slide since June 22-25.

Why is that noteworthy? Because the Isotopes just concluded a six-game series at Sugar Land with back-to-back losses to the Skeeters.

That’s means if the Aviators can secure a victory tonight, they will have their first four-game winning streak since June 24 … and hand Albuquerque its first three-game losing streak since June 25.

BOLT OF LIGHTNING: Las Vegas exploded for 29 runs in taking the final three games in Tacoma, and outfielder Skye Bolt was responsible for delivering the biggest jolt. The veteran outfielder went 7-for-14 in the three victories with three doubles, two home runs and seven RBI. Bolt did a lot of that damage in Sunday’s 14-0 blowout, going 5-for-5 with a grand slam, two doubles and six RBI.

It was Bolt’s second five-hit performance in a week, as he also went 5-for-5 in his team’s 11-1 victory over Salt Lake on August 8 at Las Vegas Ballpark. The 27-year-old Atlanta native is now batting .396 with eight homers, 12 doubles, two triples and 26 RBI in 44 games with Las Vegas.

ARMED AND DANGEROUS: As strong as Bolt and the offense closed out the series in Tacoma, the pitching staff was equally as solid. In particular, right-handed starting pitchers Daulton Jefferies and Brian Howard delivered back-to-back gems Sunday and Monday.

Jefferies scattered four hits over six shutout innings in Sunday’s 14-0 whitewash of the Rainiers. He struck out four, didn’t issue a walk and threw 66 of 96 pitches for strikes. Two southpaw relievers — newcomer Zack Erwin and Adam Kolarek — finished off the five-hit shutout by surrendering a combined one hit and two walks over the final three innings.

Howard followed Jefferies to the mound Monday and produced one of his best outings of the season, giving up just four hits and a walk while striking out three in five innings en route to a 7-3 win. Although right-hander James Naile struggled in relief of Howard (five hits, two runs in one inning), fellow relievers Reymin Guduan, Ben Bracewell and Domingo Acevedo came to the rescue. Each tossed a scoreless inning, and each surrendered one hit and no walks.

TRANSACTION ACTION: The Aviators’ roster merry-go-round was running full speed during the trip to Tacoma, with the following player transactions:

• Veteran outfielder Khris Davis, whom the Oakland A’s signed to a minor-league contract August 4, was assigned to Las Vegas on August 12. Davis, who has hit 220 homers in nine MLB seasons, played in five games in Tacoma and went 6-for-19 with a double, home run and four RBI.

• Third baseman Vimael Machín was briefly promoted from Las Vegas to Oakland after A’s shortstop Elvis Andrus was placed on the paternity list. Machín went to Oakland on Sunday and appeared in one game (going 1-for-2 with a walk in a 5-2 loss to the White Sox on Monday) before being optioned back to the Aviators on Tuesday.

• Starting pitcher Paul Blackburn earned his first callup of the season to Oakland after the A’s placed right-handed pitcher Chris Bassitt on the injured list Wednesday. Bassitt suffered a facial fracture after he was hit in the face by a line drive in Tuesday’s game against the White Sox. In his second season with the Aviators, Blackburn has gone 4-7 with a 4.97 ERA, compiling 80 strikeouts and 27 walks in 88 2/3 innings.

• Outfielder Buddy Reed, who had been sidelined since June 8, was activated from the injured list. He appeared in all six games against the Rainiers (five starts) and went 8-for-17 with a home run, three RBI, five runs, a double and two walks.

• A’s outfielder Chad Pinder joined the Aviators on Sunday on a major-league rehab assignment and started three straight games, going 4-for-12 with a homer, double and three RBI. Oakland is expected to activate Pinder on Friday.

• In addition to Erwin, shortstop Nick Allen — who is one of the Oakland A’s top prospects — was promoted from Double-A Midland (Texas).

PROMOTIONS IN MOTION: The six-game homestand against Albuquerque will kick off with $2 Beer Night presented by Corona tonight. Additional promotions include:

• Friday: Aviators hats will be given out to the first 2,000 fans through the gates

• Saturday: Aviators T-shirts (presented by STN/Station Casions) will be given out to the first 2,000 fans

• Monday: Mutt Monday (presented by Subaru of Las Vegas)

• Tuesday: Reyes de Plata night, part of Minor League Baseball’s Copa de la Diversión initiative that celebrates local Hispanic/Latino culture.

First pitch for all six games is 7:05 p.m.

Catch every Aviators game throughout the season on Raider Nation Radio 920-AM, and follow us on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook @AviatorsLV. Follow Aviators beat writer Matt Jacob on Twitter @MattRJacob.