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Albuquerque Clipped by Cubs 10-6

April 14, 2011 - Pacific Coast League (PCL) Albuquerque Isotopes

An Albuquerque Isotopes (5-3) lineup decimated by injury was no match for the Iowa Cubs (4-4), who snapped the ‘Topes three-game winning streak with a 10-6 win Thursday afternoon at Isotopes Park. Even with the loss, the Isotopes finish their 2011 season-opening homestand with five wins in eight games.

For the third straight game, Albuquerque jumped out on top with a two-run rally in the second inning that was ignited when Damaso Espino was hit in the helmet by a pitch from Cubs starter Robert Coello. Espino got to his feet and went to first base but ultimately had to be removed before taking his position in the top of the third. Joe Becker added a single that moved Espino to second for the newest Isotope Charlie Mirabal, who hammered a double to left in his first Triple-A at-bat that chased home Espino and Becker to give Albuquerque a quick 2-0 edge.

Iowa tied the game with a pair of runs in the top of the third on an RBI single by Luis Montanez and a run-scoring double by Marquez Smith before breaking the game open with five runs in the fourth. With runners on first and second and one out, Bobby Scales roped a double to the gap in right-center, plating two and putting the Cubs on top 4-2. Montanez then crushed a two-run homer to left field, plating Scales and extending the visiting team's advantage to 6-2. Even with a four-run cushion, Iowa kept its foot on the gas pedal, as Max Ramirez drew a walk, advanced two bases on a wild pitch by ‘Topes starter Randy Keisler and scored on a sacrifice fly by Scott Moore to make the score 7-2 Cubs.

Albuquerque answered in the bottom of the fourth when Espino's replacement, Keyter Collado, led off with a single and scampered into the third on a double by Becker. Mirabal then knocked in Collado with an RBI groundout before relief pitcher Ramon Troncoso roped an RBI single to left-center, plating Becker and bringing the ‘Topes to within three at 7-4.

That's the way it would stay until the seventh, when Iowa added three insurance tallies. With the bases loaded and two out, Scales hammered a bases-clearing double to the gap in right center that plated three and gave the I-Cubs a 10-4 lead.

Still, Albuquerque refused to go down without a fight, scoring twice more in the ninth when the unstoppable Jerry Sands hit an RBI triple scoring Trent Oeltjen before coming home on a groundout by pitcher-turned-right fielder Jon Link to trim the final margin to 10-6 Cubs.

For the third straight game, the ‘Topes were again hit with injuries that necessitated a pitcher, in this case Link, playing right field. In addition to the early departure of Espino, John Lindsey was forced to leave in the sixth with a strained right calf, forcing Sands to move from right to first and Link to move to the outfield. In the past three contests, the Isotopes have had six players (all infielders or catchers) leave contests early because of injury, three of them as a result of being hit by pitches.

Iowa starter Robert Coello (1-1) earned the victory for the Cubs after allowing four runs on eight hits in five innings while ‘Topes lefty starter Keisler (0-1) suffered the defeat after allowing seven runs on eight hits in just 3.2 frames.

Albuquerque will now embark on its first road trip of the 2011 season with a trip to Oklahoma City to take on the division-rival RedHawks. Righty John Ely (0-0, No ERA) will make his first start for the Isotopes fresh off a spot-start for Los Angeles last Sunday against Okie City right-hander Fernando Nieve (0-1, 10.38). First pitch from Bricktown Ballpark is 6:05 PM Mountain Time.

After three games in Oklahoma City and four in Des Moines, Iowa, the Isotopes are back home on Saturday, April 23 for an Easter weekend full of great promotions including the first post-game fireworks show of the season on Saturday and a pre-game Easter Egg hunt on Sunday.

Tickets for any Isotopes game may be purchased at the Isotopes Park Box Office, at Ticketmaster outlets, by phone at 1-800-745-3000, or on-line at www.albuquerquebaseball.com or www.ticketmaster.com.

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Pacific Coast League Stories from April 14, 2011


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