Pitchers put on a show
Fifth largest crowd at Isotopes Park see few fireworks in game
It’s a good thing there were postgame fireworks.
The announced crowd of 15,664 at Tuesday’s Albuquerque Isotopes game certainly didn’t get many during the game.
Catcher Tom Murphy, aside from calling a brilliant game behind the plate, led off the eighth inning with a home run and the ’Topes added an insurance run for a 2-0 win over visiting Sacramento in a quickly played pitchers’ duel.
The game was completed in 2 hours, 3 minutes, prompting the public address announcer to remind the eager crowd it would have to wait another 20 minutes at least until it was dark enough for fireworks.
Isotopes starting pitcher Sam Howard allowed just three hits, struck out 10 and didn’t walk any hitters in eight innings of work in arguably the most dominant pitching performance of the season for Albuquerque.
“It looked like he was in his rhythm,” Isotopes manager Glenallen Hill said. “He was very decisive with what he wanted to do.”
Truth is, it might not have been Howard’s decisiveness at all.
“All my pitches were working for me tonight and Tom Murphy had a game plan,” Howard said, crediting his catcher with calling the pitches throughout the night. “... He called the great game. He used all my pitches. And kept me guessing. He caught a great game. It was just a lot of fun out there having Murph take control of the game.”
Murphy’s home run in the eighth, the game’s first run, came after Sacramento starter Jose Flores stymied the ’Topes through seven scoreless innings, allowing just one hit and one walk while striking
out 10.
He was pulled to start the eighth for submarining reliever Tyler Rogers, who four pitches into his night surrendered the Murphy blast.
“I think there is some relief,” Hill deadpanned when asked about the feeling in the dugout when Flores was removed from the game. “I think there’s a mental relief for hitters when they get to see a different arm angle.”
Cristhian Adames followed the Murphy homer with a triple and scored two hitters later on a Daniel Castro sacrifice fly.
FANS, FANS, FANS: Tuesday’s announced crowd of 15,664 was the fifth largest in Isotopes Park history. Nine of the top 10 attended games in franchise history came on July 3/4 with an accompanying postgame fireworks show.
The exception was the June 23, 2009, game that had an announced crowd of 15,321 vs. Nashville when former Los Angeles Dodger Manny Ramirez played a game for the Isotopes on an injury rehab assignment. That game ranks eighth all-time.
The record announced crowd in Isotopes Park was 16,346 on July 4, 2014, vs. Las Vegas.
PARRA: Colorado Rockies outfielder Gerardo Parra started in left field for the ’Topes on a rehab assignment. He was 0-for-2 with a strikeout before being replaced by Rosell Herrera to start the sixth inning. Parra’s five innings played was decided before the game.
Parra, who has missed time with a quadriceps injury, is hitting .318 in 49 games this season with the Rockies.