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For Las Vegas, Playoff Berth Hangs in the Balance

By Jennifer Nieves

September 6, 2015 No comments

Dilson

 

On August 31st, going into their crucial 4 game series against the El Paso Chihuahuas, the Las Vegas 51s had a slim 1.5 game lead in the Pacific Coast League Southern Division. They had squandered larger leads during the season. After reeling off 14 straight wins in late April/early May, they lost 10 straight in late May/early June. Still at the All-Star Break they had a lead of 7.5 games over El Paso. But a poor second half saw the Vegas lead dwindle to 1.5 games. This included a 1-3 series in El Paso.

So with the Chihuahuas coming into Las Vegas for 4, the series was must win.

In game one, Darin Gorski started and pitched 5 solid innings, but giving up two solo home runs, he left with a 2-2 tie. The bullpen struggled, Cody Satterwhite giving up the go-ahead run in the seventh. The Vegas offense generated a 5-2 lead in the bottom of the 7th courtesy of a 3-run homer by Dilson Herrera. But Scott Rice and John Church combined to give up 3 runs in the top of the 9th to let the game get away. El Paso took the series opener 6-5.

In game two, primed for a comeback, Logan Verrett took the mound, after a solid stint with the Mets. After a leadoff home run by Herrera, El Paso’s poor defense contributed to two more Vegas runs in the first, staking Verrett to a 3-0 lead. Expanding the lead to 8-3 by the 6th, the 51s were in good shape, but Verrett stumbled giving up 3 runs in the top of the 7th on two singles and a 3 run home run, only recording one out. El Paso got one run closer in the 8th thanks to the wildness of the Vegas bullpen. Zack Thornton walked two and gave up  a single to load the bases. Dario Alvarez was unable to bail Thornton out of  trouble, walking in the 7th run. John Church came in and was able to hold off the visitors to earn the save. Las Vegas escaped with the win 8-7.

In game three, Tim Stauffer held the Chihuahuas to one run in another solid outing. But the Vegas offense only mustered a single run on a Travis Taijeron homer. The stalemate lasted into the 11th inning when a leadoff home run off Chase Bradford was enough for El Paso to come out on top 2-1.

Las Vegas’ lead in the division had now shrunk to half a game. And unfortunately game four was a disaster. Starter Seth Lugo struggled, and gave up 3 runs in 4 innings of work. A solo homer by Brandon Nimmo in the bottom of the 4th cut the El Paso lead to 2 runs. But a string of relievers took over from Lugo and gave up 7 more runs. Matthew Bowman gave up a solo home run in the 5th, and then loaded the bases on 3 consecutive singles in the 6th. Chase Huchingson and Thornton failed to get Bowman off the hook, allowing all 3 runners to score. Thornton gave up 4 consecutive single to start the 7th and left the bases loaded. Alex Torres came on and walked in another run. And an uncharacteristic error by Herrera allowed the 10th run to come in to end the scoring. El Paso took the game 10-1 to take over first place for the first time this season by half a game.

Glad to see the last of El Paso after another 1-3 series, Vegas was tasked to complete their season against Tacoma while watching the scoreboard, hoping for some help from Reno.

Game one against the hapless Rainiers yielded better results. Dillon Gee put forth 7 innings of 1 run ball. Meanwhile the Vegas offense turned around their poor showing of the previous night banging out 9 runs on 12 hits. Vegas was led by Nimmo’s 4-hit game which included a 2-run homer and Herrera’s 2-4 night which included a solo homer. Johnny Monell and Josh Rodriguez also added 2 hits each, Rodriguez driving in 3. The Rainiers scored 3 in the 9th off the bullpen after being stymied by Gee for 7 innings. They did the damage against Huchingson who gave up a long fly ball to centerfield.  Nimmo made a great catch at the wall, but ended up leaving the game with an injury. Huchingson then gave up 5 singles and a walk, as Tacoma plated 3 before John Church came in to coax a game ending double play. Vegas took the opener 9-4 and Reno held off El Paso 6-5 meaning the 51s regained their half game lead.

Game two saw a tougher fight for Vegas, as Tacoma scored 7 runs in 1.2 innings off starter Gorski. Las Vegas chipped away at the lead plating 2 runs in each of the first two innings. Herrera hit his 4th home run in the last 6 games in the second, a 2-run shot. Vegas added another run in the 7th on a Rodriguez ground out. Herrera then came up in the 8th with the bases loaded and delivered a 2-run single off hard-throwing Tacoma reliever J.C. Ramirez to tie the game. In the bottom of the 9th, Ramirez hit Taijeron with a pitch with one out. After a Brandon Allen single, Danny Muno came up and hit a grounder to the third baseman which he booted for an error, allowing Taijeron to score the winning run. The 8-7 walk-off victory guaranteed the 51s would not drop back into second place. But El Paso won both ends of a double header to pull even.

Each team has two games remaining. However should the season end in a tie, El Paso would take the division crown having won the season series against Las Vegas 10 games to 6.

The downturn of the 51s’ season can in large part be attributed to the promotion of their two dominant pitchers, Noah Syndergaard and Steven Matz, to the Mets by the end of June. The regular shuttling of other players back and forth to Queens to fill in for injured Mets players, plus the departure of productive players like Alex Castellanos also contributed. But the 51s are still alive, and hope to come out on top by the end of  Labor Day Monday.

 

(Photo by Cirilo Maldonado)