The Las Vegas Aviators closed their road trip with one more offensive push Sunday, beating the Albuquerque Isotopes 10-8 at Isotopes Park.
Las Vegas improved to 71-53 and finished the six-game series with five wins. Cole Conn and Drew Swift drove in three runs apiece, while Denzel Clarke hit his first home run of the season during his rehab assignment.
Aviators strike first
Las Vegas scored three runs before Albuquerque came to the plate.
Jared Dickey singled before Johnathan Rodríguez doubled him home. After Joey Meneses and Brayan Buelvas walked, Conn doubled to right to score Rodríguez and Meneses for a 3-0 lead.
Albuquerque answered with two runs in the bottom half, but Clarke restored the three-run advantage in the second.
Davis Diaz walked before Clarke hit a two-run homer to left, his first of the season, to make it 5-2.
Albuquerque takes control
The Isotopes erased that lead against Mason Barnett.
Albuquerque scored three times in the third to tie the game 5-5, aided by a Las Vegas throwing error. Conner Capel then opened the fourth with a solo homer before Sterlin Thompson added another solo shot for a 7-5 lead.
Barnett exited after 3 2/3 innings. He allowed seven runs, five earned, on eight hits and two walks.
Jake Garland entered with a runner aboard and ended the fourth without further damage.
Swift, Conn lead comeback
Las Vegas responded immediately in the fifth.
Conn singled before Swift launched a two-run homer to left-center, his second of the season, tying the game 7-7.
The Aviators took the lead for good in the sixth.
Meneses reached on an error and Buelvas walked before Conn singled home Meneses. Swift followed with a sacrifice fly that scored Buelvas for a 9-7 advantage.
Colby Halter later singled before Diaz drove in Conn with another single, pushing the lead to 10-7.
Conn finished 3-for-5 with a double, three RBIs and two runs. Swift went 1-for-2 with a home run, three RBIs, a walk, a hit-by-pitch and a stolen base.
Clarke added two RBIs, while Rodríguez went 2-for-5 with a double and an RBI.
Garland steadies pitching staff
Garland gave the Aviators the relief outing they needed after Albuquerque scored seven runs over the first four innings.
The right-hander worked 3 1/3 scoreless innings, allowing one hit and one walk while striking out three. He retired the side in order in the fifth and struck out all three batters he faced in the seventh.
Garland earned the win and improved to 2-0.
Luis Morales allowed a solo home run to Jose Cordova in the eighth before Geoff Hartlieb took over in the ninth.
Albuquerque brought the tying run to the plate after singles by Thompson and Vimael Machín. Hartlieb responded by striking out Charlie Condon, Chad Stevens and Roc Riggio to earn his third save.
Up next
The Aviators are off Monday before returning to Las Vegas Ballpark for a six-game series against the Sugar Land Space Cowboys.
The series begins Tuesday at 7:05 p.m. PDT. Las Vegas will play as the Reyes de Plata for Copa de la Diversión.
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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.
