The Las Vegas Aviators needed their bullpen to stop the damage and their offense to erase it.
Las Vegas scored three runs in the seventh inning and received 3 2/3 scoreless innings from its final three relievers in a 6-5 win over El Paso on Thursday at Las Vegas Ballpark.
The Aviators improved to 59-38 and took a 2-1 lead in the six-game series.
Meneses and Serven provide the power
El Paso scored first against Chen Zhong-Ao Zhuang, but Las Vegas answered with two solo home runs in the second inning.
Joey Meneses drove his 13th homer over the left-field wall to tie the game. Brian Serven followed two batters later with his eighth homer, giving the Aviators a 2-1 lead.
El Paso tied the game in the third before Las Vegas moved back ahead in the fifth.
Colby Halter singled, stole second and scored on Darell Hernaiz’s two-out single to right. However, the lead did not survive the next inning.
El Paso takes control in the sixth
A.J. Causey allowed a leadoff double to Anthony Vilar in the sixth. Vilar later scored on a balk, tying the game 3-3.
Causey issued another balk after walking Will Wagner. Carlos Rodríguez then hit a two-run homer to right-center, putting the Chihuahuas ahead 5-3.
Zhuang allowed two runs on five hits across 3 2/3 innings. He walked four and struck out three.
Causey followed with three runs on four hits over 1 2/3 innings. Still, the bullpen gave Las Vegas enough time to respond.
Seventh-inning rally flips the game
The Aviators opened the seventh with five consecutive singles against Ethan Routzahn.
Drew Swift singled to center before Hernaiz reached on a bunt single. Michael Stefanic then loaded the bases with an infield hit.
Meneses followed with a two-run single to left, scoring Swift and Hernaiz to tie the game 5-5. Bryan Lavastida added another single before Routzahn hit Serven with a pitch, forcing home Stefanic with the go-ahead run.
Meneses finished 2-for-4 with a home run and three RBIs. Serven reached three times, homered and drove in two.
Hernaiz went 3-for-5 with an RBI and a run, while Swift and Stefanic each collected two hits.
Bullpen finishes the job
Wander Suero entered in the sixth and stranded an inherited runner before working a scoreless seventh. He earned the win and improved to 4-2.
Stevie Emanuels allowed one hit and struck out two in a scoreless eighth.
Ben Bowden made the ninth more difficult than necessary. He walked two batters and threw a wild pitch, putting the tying run in scoring position.
However, Bowden struck out Clay Dungan, Dustin Harris and Wagner to end the game. He earned his third save.
Suero, Emanuels and Bowden combined for 3 2/3 scoreless innings. That finish mattered because El Paso drew 10 walks and stranded 15 runners.
Up next
The Aviators and Chihuahuas continue the series Friday at 7:05 p.m. PDT at Las Vegas Ballpark.
Left-hander Kyle Magdic is scheduled to start for Las Vegas against El Paso left-hander Ryan Haynes.
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Dice City Sports editor Mark Hebert covers the Las Vegas Aces, 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.
