Isotopes bombard El Paso in wacky matinee
Albuquerque turns 5 double plays in rout
Five plus five added up to a long Thursday afternoon for the El Paso Chihuahuas.
The Albuquerque Isotopes bashed five home runs and turned five double plays on their way to a 16-1 romp over the Chihuahuas in a matinee contest at Isotopes Park.
Five players homered for the ’Topes, who won for the second straight day and salvaged a split of the four-game series against PCL Pacific Southern Divisionleading El Paso. The Chihuahuas lead Albuquerque by 4½ games.
The home run total equaled the Isotopes’ high for a game this season. The five double plays were a season high.
Which accomplishment did manager Glenallen Hill find more impressive?
“I think they go hand in hand,” Hill said. “Home runs can give you a big inning and double plays minimize big innings for the other team. It’s definitely nice to get both.”
Isotopes second baseman Daniel Castro enjoyed the best of both worlds, launching a solo homer and getting involved in all
five double plays. Castro was not as diplomatic as Hill about his preference, however.
“I like defense better — always,” Castro said through an interpreter.
Albuquerque’s infield defense has excelled at turning double plays all season. Going into Thursday night’s games the Isotopes led all of minor league baseball with 109. (Double-A New Hampshire was second with 106.)
“That’s kind of surprising,” Hill said. “It doesn’t feel like we’ve turned that many. But if you look around at our infield, we do have really good defensive players. Three guys (Castro, Elliot Soto and Garrett Hampson) are legitimate shortstops and (Shawn) O’Malley can play short, too.”
The ’Topes’ slick fielding paid big dividends for Thursday’s starting pitcher, David Holman, who allowed one run in six solid innings. The Chihuahuas put leadoff hitters on base five times against Holman, but Albuquerque rolled four double plays behind the right-hander.
“Holman’s a sinker-slider guy,” Hill said. “He played to his strengths, got ground balls and was rewarded for it.”
Castro said he enjoys playing defense behind pitchers like Holman.
“He’s good at getting ground balls,” Castro said, “but I think our guys are good at staying ready no matter what. I always have really good defensive players around me on this team. That feels good.”
El Paso starter and rehabbing San Diego Padres pitcher Jordan Lyles was not as fortunate. The Isotopes battered Lyles for four runs on three homers in the first inning. Ryan McMahon smacked a two-run shot, and Mike Tauchman and David Dahl launched solo shots.
The Chihuahuas picked up a run in the fourth, but Albuquerque broke things open with a fiverun rally in the sixth. Jan Vazquez hit a three-run homer, and Castro added a solo shot during the frame.
Soto finished 4-for-5. Castro, Tauchman and Vazquez each had three of the Isotopes’ 19 hits.
THAT’S ENOUGH: With the score out of hand, things took a comic turn in the bottom of the eighth inning. El Paso sent first baseman Diego Goris to the mound, and the Isotopes teed off against him. Goris recorded just two outs, allowing five hits and seven runs.
After Jordan Patterson’s two-run double gave the ’Topes a 15-1 lead, Goris tapped out. He pointed at his replacement at first base, backup catcher Brett Nicholas, and the two abruptly traded positions.
Nicholas, who did not bother throwing any warmup pitches, allowed three straight singles before retiring Castro on a pop fly with the bases loaded.
ONE AND DONE: Dahl, the Colorado Rockies outfielder who is on a rehab assignment with the ’Topes, started in left field but made just one plate appearance. Dahl mashed a long solo home run to right-center in the first inning. Stephen Cardullo replaced him as a pinch-hitter in the bottom of the third.
“That was the plan,” Hill said, “for him to play three innings and get one at-bat in his first (rehab) game. Plan worked out pretty well.”