Isotopes gorge on Chihuahua pitching in victory
Fans take delight on 50-cent hot dog night
Well, the bats woke up a bit. And the Albuquerque Isotopes needed it.
In front of an announced crowd of 7,619 on hot dog night at Isotopes Park, the home team collected 13 hits and beat the visiting El Paso Chihuahuas 9-6 to snap a four-game losing streak.
It was also the first time in 10 games the ’Topes outhit their opponent (the Chihuahuas had 10 hits) and pulled Albuquerque back to .500 after dropping below that mark Monday for the first time in more than a month.
And manager Glenallen Hill sees signs that the team’s momentum shift could carry on for a while.
“We had some guys that needed to have some good games and I think the way the game played out … it all worked out well,” Hill said.
On Monday night, the manager seemed to be grasping for something positive to say after a 10-7 loss to El Paso — a game in which Albuquerque was down 10-1 before completing four innings, only to tack on six runs in the final three frames to make the final score look respectable.
“The positive of this game was that our offense showed some life toward the end,” Hill said Monday night. “Hopefully we can use that for some momentum.”
Tuesday, the ’Topes, led by shortstop Daniel Castro’s 3-for-4 night with a home run and a double, were hitting early and often.
And Hill insists his Monday comments weren’t merely wishful thinking.
“When I said that (Monday), I abso-
lutely believed that 100 percent,” Hill said. “After you’ve been in this game for a long time, it becomes instinctual — some of the things that you see. You learn over time to trust some of those instincts. I could definitely see there was a little bit of a momentum switch (late in Monday’s loss).”
Castro drove in runs on each of his first three at-bats on Tuesday night — on a double in the second inning, a fielder’s choice in the fourth and solo homer in the sixth.
“Our last road trip he kind of hurt his shoulder and I was kind of nursing him in and out of the lineup,” Hill said. “Before he hurt his shoulder, he was playing really well. What you saw tonight and his ability to chase a bad pitch early in a count and then settle down and have solid contact is what he was doing before he hurt his shoulder.”
That doesn’t mean all was perfect for Castro. He was called out at third to end the fourth and was visibly upset with the umpire. And, maybe, also about what his base-running decision meant.
“I have a system in place where players get fined for certain things,” Hill said. “(Castro) volunteered to pay a fine for that base-running mistake.”
THIS AND THAT: Including Tuesday’s crowd, through the Isotopes’ first 30 home games (not including the April 25 rainout), the organization is averaging 7,338 fans. That’s good for fifth best in the 16-team Pacific Coast League. TAPIA OUT: Isotopes leadoff hitter Raimel Tapia, who is third in the Pacific Coast League this season with a .359 batting average, was added to the Colorado Rockies’ roster Tuesday. He had missed the previous two games with Albuquerque, but had not officially been added to the roster in Denver until Tuesday.