The start of the game was delayed by 32 minutes. The start of the Sky Sox offense was delayed by 5 2/3 innings.
By then it was too late.
Colorado Springs didn’t get a hit against Las Vegas starter Giancarlo Alvarado until there were two outs in the sixth inning, at which point they were already down six runs. The deficit grew to nine before the Sky Sox were finally put away 9-3 in front of 8,021 on Tuesday night.
To give some context to the rarity of Alvarado's hitless start to the night, it had been 12 years since an opponent had started a game with six hitless innings in a Sky Sox home game.
Former Sky Sox infielder Omar Quintanilla went 3 for 5 – falling just a single short of the cycle – and drove in five runs.
Quintanilla had 900 plate appearances over parts of five seasons for the Sky Sox and homered just 10 times. Only one of those homers came at Security Service Field. But in his first at bat on Tuesday, Quintanilla snuck one just over the right field wall.
His triple came in his second at bat and the double in his fourth. He batted in the ninth with a chance to complete the cycle, but grounded out to second base.
The Sky Sox bats woke up in the seventh inning, as Ben Paulsen, Kyle Parker and Evan Fry strung together consecutive hits in a three-run rally.
Two of those runs were charged to Alvarado, who went six-plus innings, giving up two runs and two hits. He struck out five and walked a pair.
Sky Sox starter Pedro Hernandes gave up six runs – all earned on an error-free night for both teams – and eight hits in five innings.
The Sky Sox finished the game with just five hits, matching their fewest in a home game this season.
Colorado Springs center fielder Jason Pridie stole his 20th base, which leads the Pacific Coast League. Pridie now has 20 or more steals in five professional seasons.
The Sky Sox will start recently acquired veteran right-hander Brett Tomko on Wednesday for a 12:30 p.m. start against Las Vegas. At 41, Tomko will be the oldest pitcher to ever start a game for Colorado Springs.