3 things to know before Aviators play for Triple-A title

The ups and downs from a challenging second half of the season for the Aviators were long forgotten about Wednesday night.

Las Vegas won the Pacific Coast League first-half championship with a 49-26 record to clinch a spot in the PCL championship series, but finished below .500 (34-40) in the second half.

None of that mattered this week, when Las Vegas swept the Tacoma Rainiers, the second-half champion, in two games of the best-of-three PCL championship series and clinched the league title Wednesday night at Las Vegas Ballpark.

That punched the Aviators’ ticket to Saturday’s Triple-A national championship game, when they will face the International League champion Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp at 7:07 p.m. at Las Vegas Ballpark.

Jacksonville, the Miami Marlins’ Triple-A affiliate, defeated Scranton/Wilkes-Barre (New York Yankees) in three games in the International League championship series and won the first-half league title.

Las Vegas’ win Wednesday was its third PCL title and first since 1988. The Aviators took Thursday off following a champagne locker room celebration that included A’s legend Dave Stewart, followed by a celebratory bath in the center-field pool.

Here are three things to know before the championship game Saturday as the Aviators play for their first Triple-A national title.

1. Newcomers bring pop

Much of the second-half struggle stemmed from the Athletics calling up many of the Aviators’ key contributors who helped them win the first-half title.

That forced the call-up of many players from Double-A Midland (Texas) and High-A Lansing (Michigan). On Tuesday and Wednesday, it was two of the newcomers who came up with big hits.

Ryan Lasko hit big home runs in each of the two games for Las Vegas. His two-run homer Tuesday broke a scoreless tie, and his two-run shot Wednesday proved to be the deciding runs in a 7-3 win.

Lasko “is such a great defender in the outfield, and he’s experiencing Triple-A for the first time these last two, three weeks and rose to the occasion,” Aviators manager Fran Riordan said from the pool Wednesday. “He rose to the moment and had some huge home runs that made the difference in this series.”

Lasko was called up in September and played 13 regular-season games for Las Vegas.

The Aviators also got a big home run from Luke Mann on Wednesday. Mann, who did not play in Game 1 against Tacoma, delivered a three-run homer Wednesday. He spent most of the season with Midland and played 14 regular-season games with Las Vegas.

2. Bullpen rides hot streak

Las Vegas’ bullpen was lights out against Tacoma. The Aviators’ relievers did not allow a run against the Rainiers in 8⅓ innings pitched.

On Wednesday, the trio of Tyler Baum, David Leal and Jake Walkinshaw retired 16 straight batters, as they combined for 6⅔ scoreless innings. Baum relieved in the third inning with two runners on and one out, and stranded them on base.

“They were the best versions of themselves, and we needed them to be that, and they came through,” Riordan said of the bullpen. “It was a fantastic performance from the bullpen.”

After starter Kade Morris went seven innings in Tuesday’s win, the bullpen had two full days of rest for Saturday, and everyone should be available.

3. About the Jumbo Shrimp

Jacksonville lost the first game of the International League series to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, then won the next two. On Thursday, Jacksonville led 7-0 after eight innings before allowing four runs in a 7-4 win.

The Jumbo Shrimp relied on strong pitching to get to the postseason. The team posted a 3.73 ERA and held opponents to a .228 batting average to lead the league during the regular season.

Jacksonville burned through its two top starters and two of the top five Marlins prospects — Thomas White (No. 1) and Robby Snelling (No. 4) — in the IL championship series.

Catcher Joe Mack, the Marlins’ third-ranked prospect, is one of Jacksonville’s top hitters, batting .250 with 18 home runs and 53 RBIs.

Contact Alex Wright at awright@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AlexWright1028 on X.