Albuquerque put Las Vegas in an immediate hole, scoring four runs in the first inning against Mitch Barnett. Zac Veen lined a two-run single to left, Andrew Knizner followed with an RBI double and Cole Carrigg added a run-scoring single to cap the rally and make it 4-0.
The Isotopes tacked on another run in the second on a bases-loaded walk, then effectively put the game out of reach in the third when Nic Kent launched a two-run homer to left field. Kent’s third home run of the season extended the lead to 7-0.
Barnett was charged with seven runs on six hits and six walks over 2.1 innings. He struck out one and absorbed the loss, slipping to 2-1 on the season.
Bullpen Settles In
After the early damage, the Aviators bullpen gave the club a chance to regroup. Nick Hernandez worked 2.2 scoreless innings, Yunior Tur followed with three shutout frames and Stevie Emanuels tossed a clean ninth. The trio combined to allow just two hits over the final 6.2 innings.
Late Spark Not Enough
Las Vegas struggled to generate offense against Domingo Acevedo, who struck out nine over five scoreless innings in his season debut.
The Aviators finally broke through in the eighth. Tommy White opened the inning with a single before Bryan Lavastida connected on a two-run homer to left field, his second of the season, trimming the deficit to five.
Michael Stefanic collected two hits, while Drew Swift added a pinch-hit double in the ninth. White finished 1-for-5 and drove in no runs. Las Vegas went 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position and stranded nine.
With the loss, the Aviators fall to 25-22. Albuquerque improves to 27-22.
Up Next
Star Wars Night continues the six-game series Saturday at Las Vegas Ballpark. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. PT.
Right-hander Joey Estes (2-4, 4.74 ERA) is slated to start for Las Vegas against Albuquerque right-hander Elieser Ramírez (0-1, 7.50 ERA).
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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.
