The Las Vegas Aviators shook off an ugly start Tuesday night and turned it into a rout.
After falling behind 6–1 through three innings, Las Vegas erupted for 15 unanswered runs and rolled past the Albuquerque Isotopes 16–8 at Las Vegas Ballpark. The victory marked the Aviators’ third straight and improved them to 24–20, keeping them second in the PCL West. Wearing their powder blue Reyes de Plata uniforms as part of Minor League Baseball’s Copa de la Diversión series, the Aviators piled up 17 hits
Early Trouble
The night began on shaky footing. An error in the first inning helped Albuquerque grab an early lead, and the third inning unraveled quickly. The Isotopes sent 10 batters to the plate, drawing three walks and getting a three-run double from Andrew Knizner to build a 6–1 advantage.
Geoff Hartlieb opened with two innings before Yunior Tur was charged with five runs in one-third of an inning. However, Nick Hernandez entered and limited further damage, allowing the Aviators to regroup.
Clawing Back
Las Vegas answered immediately. Joshua Kuroda-Grauer lined a two-run double in the third, and Tommy White followed with an RBI triple to trim the deficit to 6–4. Then in the fourth, Brayan Buelvas delivered an RBI single to pull the Aviators within one.
Momentum fully shifted in the fifth. Joey Meneses launched a solo home run to tie the game, and two batters later Cade Marlowe crushed a 410-foot shot to center field to give Las Vegas its first lead at 7–6. From that point forward, the energy belonged to the home side.
Bullpen Settles In
Once ahead, the pitching stabilized. Ben Bowden delivered two scoreless innings with three strikeouts to earn his first win of the season. Michael Kelly and Brady Basso followed with clean work, bridging the middle innings before Stevie Emanuels allowed two late runs after the outcome was decided.
In total, seven Las Vegas pitchers combined for 10 strikeouts and kept Albuquerque off the board from the fourth through the eighth.
The Avalanche Seventh
The game broke open in the seventh inning. Las Vegas sent 13 batters to the plate and scored eight runs, capitalizing on two Albuquerque errors.
Buelvas delivered his third hit of the night and drove in two runs, while Kuroda-Grauer added his third RBI. Marlowe ripped a two-run double, and Brian Serven capped the inning with an RBI single. By the time it ended, the Aviators had turned a one-run contest into a 16–6 cushion.
Bats Up and Down the Lineup
Production came from everywhere. Kuroda-Grauer finished 2-for-6 with three RBIs, while Serven went 3-for-4 with an RBI. Buelvas added three hits and two RBIs, Marlowe drove in three, and Meneses contributed two RBIs, including his sixth homer of the season.
Las Vegas scored in six different innings and totaled 14 RBIs on 17 hits, overwhelming Albuquerque’s pitching staff after the early deficit.
Up Next
The series continues Wednesday at 7:05 p.m. PT at Las Vegas Ballpark. Albuquerque is scheduled to start right-hander Karl Thompson (1–3, 3.34 ERA), while Las Vegas counters with left-hander Gage Jump (0–2, 5.52 ERA).
Related stories
Welcome to Dice City Sports — where we provide premium, exclusive, up-to-date news and analysis surrounding the Las Vegas sports scene. Follow along on social media, and check back for new articles daily!
Dice City Sports editor Mark Hebert covers the Vegas Golden Knights, Las Vegas Raiders, Athletics, and UNLV baseball and softball. He has 24 years of journalism experience, is also a senior reporter at Exhibit City News, and previously covered the Dallas Stars and Texas Rangers. Follow him on X or connect on LinkedIn.
