HOW IT HAPPENED:
The Aviators struck first with two runs in the first inning. 2B Joshua Kuroda-Grauer singled to start the inning and came around to score on a double by SS Darell Hernaiz for the game’s first run. 1B Joey Meneses drove in Hernaiz with a sacrifice fly to give Las Vegas an early 2-0 edge.
Las Vegas broke the game open with an eight-run second inning, highlighted by grand slams from 3B Brett Harris and DH Tommy Harris, giving the Aviators a commanding 10-0 advantage through two innings.
In the third, the E-Train loaded the base after SS Keyber Rodriguez was hit by a pitch, C Jose Herrera singled, and 2B Carter Garate walked. Rodriguez scored from third on a groundout by DH Jarred Kelenic, putting the Express on the board.
The Aviators responded with four runs in the bottom half of the inning. After loading the bases for the third time in the game, CF Cade Marlowe hit a bases-clearing double. Marlowe came around to score on a sacrifice fly, growing the lead to thirteen.
The Express answered back with four runs of their own in the fourth. With runners in scoring position, RF Trevor Hauver launched a three-run home run to make it a 14-4 game. Two batters later, Garate hit his first Triple-A home run of his career to cut the deficit to nine.
Vegas tallied a run in the bottom frame after a sacrifice fly by Kuroda-Grauer to push the advantage to ten.
3B Cam Cauley doubled and came around to score on a triple by CF Gilberto Celestino to make it a 15-6 game in the fifth inning.
In the bottom frame, the Aviators pushed across six runs after two RBI doubles and a homer to raise their tally to 21.
The Aviators added another run to their total in the sixth after C Brian Serven hit a sacrifice fly.
The Express scratched across three runs in the seventh after back-to-back RBIs from Hauver and Rodriguez to trim the lead to 13.
Las Vegas added four runs in the seventh, and the Express responded with four in the eighth. Round Rock falls to Las Vegas by a final score of 26-13 on Thursday night.
E-TRAIN EXCERPTS:
WHERE WE STAND: With the loss, the Aviators hold a 2-1 advantage halfway through the 6-game series… Round Rock has dropped the last 2 G… are 3-7 in last 10 G… 7-8 in June… are 2-8 when opponents score 10-plus runs.
LHP JOE ADAMETZ: (L, 4.0 IP, 12 H, 15 R, 12 ER, 4 BB, 4 SO, 2 HR, 87 pitches, 56 strikes) took the loss in his Round Rock debut on Thursday night… was called up from High-A Hub City today… recorded 3 consecutive strikeouts to end the 1st inning and start the 2nd… made his 2nd appearance at the Triple-A level…last appeared in a Triple-A game for TOL (Triple-A for DET) on 4/17/25, tossing 2.1 innings and allowing 2 R on 4 H… was 2-4 with a 5.91 ERA and 39 SO in 42.2 innings with Hub City this season…became the 3rd Triple-A pitcher since 2005 to allow 15 runs in a single game, breaking Round Rock’s previous club record of 12 (RHP Allen Webster on 5/15/2017 at RNO and RHP Erick Abreu on 8/14/2009 at RNO)…12 hits are the most from an Express pitcher since RHP José Urquidy (14) on 8/7/2019 at ELP.
INF CARTER GARATE: (2-for-3, HR, RBI, 2 R, BB and SO) made his Triple-A debut on Thursday night in Las Vegas… added to the roster on Tuesday from High-A Hub City… drew a walk in his first plate appearance in the 3rd … launched his 1st career Triple-A home run in the 4th… the 420-foot round-tripper is the 5th longest homer by an Express player this season… the 22-year-old infielder was hitting .172 with 14 RBI in 19 G this season with Hub City.
OF GILBERTO CELESTINO: posted his 9th multi-hit game of the season and 3rd with 3+ hits (also, 4 on 5/24 at ELP and 3 on 6/5 at OKC)…drove in a run with his triple in the top of the 5th…is now batting .391 (9-23) through 7 games this month.
INF/OF CAM CAULEY: went 2-for-6 with 2 doubles, an RBI, 2 runs and 3 strikeouts on Thursday night…in 26 games since 5/16, is slashing .327/.408/.504…in 40 games prior to 5/16, owned a .215/.341/.299 slash line.
NOTES: Express allowed a franchise-record 26 runs on Thursday night…39 combined runs are the most in any Triple-A game this season and the most in the history of Las Vegas Ballpark…37 combined RBI are the most in a Triple-A game this year.
NEXT GAME: Friday, June 19 at Las Vegas FIRST PITCH: 9:05 p.m. CT BALLPARK: Las Vegas Ballpark
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