Round Rock Beats Las Vegas, Heads to Tacoma in First Place

ROUND ROCK, Texas – The Round Rock Express (41-28 | 85-58) earned the series split against the Las Vegas Aviators (40-29 | 74-69) after their 5-1 victory on Sunday afternoon at Dell Diamond. Round Rock holds a 1.0-game lead in the Pacific Coast League second half standings heading into their final six games.

Express reliever RHP Justin Slaten (1-0, 0.00) earned the win after 2.0 innings of scoreless baseball with one hit and two strikeouts. Aviators starter RHP Zach Neal (4-2, 5.21) walked away with the loss after allowing three runs on six hits with two walks and one strikeout in 3.2 innings.

Along the Train Tracks:

• A double from SS Tyler Wade and RBI single from 3B Jonah Bride opened the game for Las Vegas and put one run on the board in the first inning.
• Round Rock tied the game at one in the third inning after a double from DH Elier Hernandez and walk from 2B Justin Foscue put two men on. 1B Blaine Crim singled to score Hernandez and tied the game at one.
• Express LF Dustin Harris got aboard after a one-out walk in the fourth inning. RF Sandro Fabian delivered a 3-1 lead by lining a two-run home run to left field.
• After a walk and two hits loaded the bases for Round Rock in the seventh inning, Harris dropped a single to center field which allowed a run to score. A sacrifice fly from Fabian added one more and the Express led 5-1. The E-Train collected the final six outs to secure the win.

E-Train Excerpts:

• Round Rock RF Sandro Fabian launched his 22^nd home run of the season after his go-ahead bomb in the fourth inning on Sunday. Ten of his home runs have either tied the game or given the E-Train the lead. He is one of 10 players in the Pacific Coast League with 22 or more home runs this season.
• The Express held Las Vegas to one run on Sunday which was just the 12 time this season that the Aviators had been held to one or fewer runs.
• With six games remaining, Round Rock holds a 1.0-game lead in the Pacific Coast League standings. While Round Rock heads to Tacoma for six games, Las Vegas will head home to take on the Reno Aces for a six-game set.

Next up: Round Rock will hit the road for the final time this season against the Tacoma Rainiers (Seattle Mariners affiliate) at Cheney Stadium beginning Tuesday, September 19 at 8:05 p.m. CT. Both pitchers for game one are to be announced.

For more information about the Express, visit RRExpress.com or call (512) 255-2255. Subscribe to the E-Train email newsletter and keep up with the Express on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter!