El Paso Chihuahuas Achieve Largest Comeback in Team History, Rallying from 15-1 Deficit to Defeat Las Vegas Aviators 17-16

The Pacific Coast League has been characterized as different compared to its Minor League Baseball counterparts, and the El Paso Chihuahuas' victory Saturday is a prime example why.

El Paso accomplished a feat that seemingly looked impossible at Southwest University Park.

Trailing by 14 runs in the fourth inning, the Padres’ Triple-A affiliate chipped away in the 3-hour, 37-minute contest for an eventual 17-16 victory in nine frames that is eye-popping even for a circuit that is known for its offensive output.

While the MLB record for largest deficit overcome in a regular-season game for a victory sits at 12 (done on three occasions — Indians, Aug. 5, 2001; A’s, June 15, 1925; Tigers, June 18, 1911), the Minors are much more notorious for their lead volatility. As recently as 2014, the Clinton LumberKings turned a 17-1 deficit into a smiling scoreboard for an eventual 20-17 win.

The Las Vegas Aviators (Oakland) posted a 10 spot in the top of the fourth Saturday to help build their lead. Behind a two-homer inning — including an inside-the-park roundtripper — from outfielder Hoy Park, the Athletics’ affiliate looked to be smooth sailing for the remainder of the contest with a 15-1 lead in hand.

But in the bottom half of the frame, the Chihuahuas responded with two runs behind the swing of a Nate Mondou home run before tacking on five more in the following inning. Both teams tossed up zeros in the sixth, before El Paso stormed into the lead in the seventh with nine runs produced by four RBI singles, two walks with the bases loaded and a two-run double to thrust the Chihuahuas into the lead, giving them their largest comeback in club history.

The Chihuahuas achieved their largest comeback in team history, defeating the Las Vegas Aviators 17-16 after rallying from a 15-1 deficit in the fourth inning by scoring 16 unanswered runs. #LooneyTunesNight #looneygame #feartheears #fetchthefun pic.twitter.com/rZY2lIXlpU

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Following a loud fourth inning, El Paso’s pitching staff kept the Aviators in check for most of the remainder of the contest, surrendering a final run on a Tyler Nevin triple in the eighth inning — which marked the last run in a one-run game.

After going hitless in the first two innings, the Chihuahua tallied 14 knocks — four for extra-bases — and more walks than strikeouts: eight to seven. The bout featured 33 runs, only two lead changes, tensions heightening with two ejections in the eighth inning and a sweet grab by Chihuahuas catcher Chandler Seagle with the bases juiced in the third inning.

Kenny Van Doren is a contributor for MiLB.com.