HIGH-FIVES ALL AROUND
Isotopes rally to topple visiting Bees in season opener
Not a bad way to start 2017. The Albuquerque Isotopes brought a little bit of everything — from a tape-measure homer to a record-setting triple to a highlight-reel catch — to Thursday’s opening-night contest against visiting Salt Lake.
The highlights added up to a satisfying 7-4 victory in front of an announced 8,046 fans at Isotopes Park.
Better still for the ’Topes, numerous players got into the opening-night act. Starting pitcher Jeff Hoffman and three relievers combined to shut the Bees out over the final six innings, while Albuquerque’s hitting and defense picked them up.
“It’s always exciting, there’s always a buzz for Opening Day,” Isotopes right fielder Mike Tauchman said. “No matter what level you’re playing or what age you are, it brings a little nervous excitement. It’s good we were able to kind of harness that energy tonight.”
Tauchman and first baseman Jordan Patterson got the evening off to fast start for the home team. After Salt Lake plated a run in the top of the first inning, Patterson blasted a long two-run homer into the trees beyond the center-field fence in the bottom of the inning.
Two batters later Tauchman slashed an RBI triple to rightcenter, giving the Isotopes a 3-1 lead and extending his club-record hitting streak to 26 games. Tauchman finished 2016 by hitting in 25 straight games
but didn’t spend the offseason stressing about the streak.
“I wasn’t sure how it worked,” Tauchman said. “I didn’t know if I had to start over, but it’s cool. I was really just happy I could drive a ball in the gap and score a run.”
Hoffman, the parent Colorado Rockies’ top pitching prospect, had a generally solid night but suffered through some tough luck in the third inning. Salt Lake came up with four straight two-out hits, three on ground balls, to score three runs and take a 4-3 lead.
“I thought Hoffman pitched in the zone,” Isotopes manager Glenallen Hill said. “A couple balls rolled through the infield, but otherwise he was good.”
Salt Lake starter Alex Meyer also settled in after the first and the score remained 4-3 until the seventh, when Pat Valaika’s double sparked a two-run Isotopes rally. Raimel Tapia provided insurance with a two-run double off the right-field wall in the eighth, but Tapia’s contributions didn’t stop there.
With a Salt Lake runner on first and no outs in the top of the ninth, Kaleb Cowart hit a drive to center field that sent Tapia racing toward the fence. He stumbled and fell backward as he hit the Isotopes Park berm, but reached out to snag the ball just before it hit the grass for the first out.
“You don’t think these guys want a little ESPN swag?” Hill said of Tapia’s catch. Hoffman agreed.
“That could have been a huge momentum swing,” he said. “That’s got to be in (Tapia’s) top three catches. He’s so good on that hill.”
Closer Matt Carasiti got the next two outs in more routine fashion to nail down his team’s first win of the season. Tapia finished 2-for-4 to pace Albuquerque’s eight-hit attack.
NOTES: Opening Day brought another first when Tapia was charged an automatic strike for not stepping into the batter’s box before the pace-of-game clock expired in the second innning. Tapia promptly singled after the penalty. Salt Lake’s Nolan Fontana later earned a strike-one call for the same offense — and then singled … Prior to the game Isotopes president Ken Young presented Albuquerque mayor Richard Berry with a check for $1,507,219.66 for the annual rent on Isotopes Park. Since 2003 the club has paid the city a total of $24,642,694.99.