Las Vegas Aviators 8, Tacoma Rainiers 4

My Sweetie, the official scorer, and I typically attend Tacoma Rainiers games on Sunday afternoons, but I had a rare opportunity to catch a game at Cheney Stadium under the lights when I caught the game against the Las Vegas Aviators on Tuesday, August 17. The occasion was a Mariners game-day staff outing, and several members of the ticket office were in attendance as the Aviators topped the Rainiers 8-4.

Things started off well enough for Tacoma starter Darren McCaughan, who blanked Las Vegas on just one hit over the first couple of innings. The Aviators' starter Argenis Angulo matched that, allowing just one hit over two and the score was 0-0 going into the top of the third. 

Things then came apart a bit for McCaughan. Pete Kozma and Buddy Reed opened the frame with singles, and then local product Nate Mondou drilled a base hit to plate Kozma with the first run of the game. Chad Pinder hit a sacrifice fly to bring in a second run, then Skye Bolt bounced into a niftily turned 3-6-1 double play to end the frame.

Sam Travis

Sam Travis put the Rainiers on the board with a leadoff homer in the bottom of the third. After two out Jantzen Witte singled, and that was the end of the night for Angulo. Aaron Brown came on in relief, and immediately picked Witte off of first to end the third with Vegas up 2-1.

The Aviators got right back after McCaughan in the fourth. First sacker Francisco Pena cracked a leadoff homer, and DH Khris Davis, recently signed by the Oakland Athletics to a minor-league contract, was hit by a pitch. After an out, Kozma and Reed singled, Davis scoring on the latter and Kozma reaching third. Moudou hit a fly ball to left deep enough to score Kozma and it was 5-1 Las Vegas.

Tacoma scratched its way back into the game with two runs in the fifth without getting a hit. Jose Godoy led off with a little dribbler out in front of the plate.  Las Vegas catcher Aramis Garcia over-ran the ball and was charged with an error. Marius Wilson walked, but Travis and Jack Reinheimer both struck out looking. Donovan Walton was hit by a pitch to load the bases, and Witte hit a slow grounder to third. In a rush to get the final out, Mondou threw wild to first and two runs came in to make it 5-3.

Bolt homered for Las Vegas leading off the eighth and the Aviators scored two more in the ninth.  Travis hit his second homer of the game leading off the ninth to close out the scoring.

Box score

Jose Marmolejos

Jose Marmelejos is leading the AAA-West in hitting with a robust .372 average and has 21 home runs in 279 plate appearances for Tacoma this season. His slugging hasn't translated to the big leagues, where he's batted just .177 with nine home runs in 209 plate appearances over the past two seasons with the Mariners.

Hometown product

Mondou is from Lake Tapps and attended Charles Wright Academy in Tacoma. He played college ball at Wake Forest and was drafted by Oakland in the 13th round in 2016. It's his first year at the Triple-A level, where he's batting .315 and has seven home runs.

The Aaron Brown who pitches for Las Vegas is NOT the former Seattle TV news anchor who later worked for ABC, CNN, and PBS.