Albuquerque Rides Big Innings to 18-5 Rout of El Paso

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PCL Albuquerque Isotopes

Albuquerque Rides Big Innings to 18-5 Rout of El Paso

July 2, 2025 - Pacific Coast League (PCL)
Albuquerque Isotopes News Release


Albuquerque, NM - Catcher Braxton Fulford highlighted an offensive barrage for the Isotopes by going 4-for-4 with two homers, and tying a franchise-record by scoring five runs, as Albuquerque won an 18-5 laugher over the El Paso Chihuahuas in front of 10,304 fans Wednesday afternoon.

Aaron Schunk and Keston Hiura also homered to the delight of the large weekday crowd, as the Isotopes have taken the first two contests of this six-game series.

Topes Scope: - Wednesday afternoon's attendance of 10,304 marked the fourth time Albuquerque has drawn a five-figure crowd this season. It also tied for the highest attended game at Isotopes Park in 2025, along with the City Roots debut contest on May 17.

- The nine-run fourth inning marked Albuquerque's largest output in a single frame since June 13, 2024, also scoring nine times in the fourth in a home game against El Paso.

- The Isotopes won a game by at least 13 runs for the fifth time this season, and tied their largest margin of victory at home (also: April 2 vs. Salt Lake, June 10 vs. Oklahoma City). Their two biggest wins came on the road at Reno: 18-3 (April 23) and 14-0 (May 25).

- Albuquerque has beaten El Paso on July 2 in each of the last three seasons, outscoring the Chihuahuas by a 43-9 combined total.

- The Isotopes tied a season high with 18 runs, reaching the total from the aforementioned April 23 game.

- For the fifth time this season, Albuquerque recorded at least 18 hits in a contest (last: May 27 vs. Sugar Land, 19 total).

- The Chihuahuas committed six errors, tying a franchise record. Additionally, tied for the most miscues by an Albuquerque opponent since at least 2005, done on just one previous occasion - by the Memphis Redbirds on June 15, 2013.

- Albuquerque's seven extra-base hits marked the eighth time they compiled at least that many in a contest (last: May 27 vs. Sugar Land, season-high 10).

- The Isotopes are just 4-11 in the second game of a series this year, but have outscored opponents 61-16 in their four wins.

- Fulford joined Joc Pederson (May 8, 2014 vs. Sacramento), Noel Cuevas (April 10, 2019 at Reno) and Ryan Vilade (June 15, 2022 vs. Salt Lake) as the only Isotopes players to ever score five runs in a contest.

- Fulford tied a career-high with four hits (also: July 6, 2022 vs. San Jose; May 22, 2024 at Portland). Today was the third multi-homer game of his pro career (also: Sept. 6, 2022 at San Jose; April 8, 2025 at Sugar Land). Fulford has 36 hits with Albuquerque this season, exactly half for extra bases.

- Fulford's performance marked the 13th multi-homer game of the season for Albuquerque (last: Michael Toglia, June 12 vs. Oklahoma City). Four of the instances have taken place against El Paso, with Warming Bernabel, Yanquiel Fernández and Sterlin Thompson accomplishing the feat as well. By this point in the season last year, the Isotopes had only six multi-homer contests by an individual.

- Zac Veen extended his hitting streak to 10 games with a 2-for-6 afternoon. He is 19-for-42 with four doubles, two homers and eight RBI during the stretch, including 15-for-28 in his last six contests. This is Veen's longest hit streak since another 10-gamer with Double-A Hartford in May 2023.

- Braiden Ward collected two hits for the second-straight game to start his Triple-A career, the second time in 2025 he has recorded back-to-back multi-hit contests (also: May 18-21 with Hartford). Ward has also stolen a base in each game with Albuquerque, giving him 175 thefts since the beginning of the 2022 campaign, third-most in all of Minor League Baseball during the timeframe behind Chandler Simpson (225) and Jonatan Clase (187).

- Schunk was 3-for-5, his 10th multi-hit game of the season at Triple-A and third contest with three knocks (also: April 17 vs. El Paso, May 29 vs. Sugar Land). Wednesday was the second time Schunk recorded a triple and home run in the same contest during his pro career (also: May 10, 2022 vs. Portland).

- Sterlin Thompson was 2-for-4 with a double, triple and three runs scored. Thompson has four triples in his last eight games to take sole possession of first place in the PCL for three-baggers, with seven total. Today was his seventh contest with multiple extra-base hit this season (also: April 17 vs. El Paso, May 14 vs. Tacoma, May 16 vs. Tacoma, May 24 at Reno, June 6 at El Paso, June 15 vs. Oklahoma City).

- Keston Hiura finished 2-for-5 with a two-run homer, extending his on-base streak to 31 games. Hiura has compiled a .339/.441/.696 slashline with nine doubles, a triple, 10 homers and 29 RBI during the stretch. He is the 10th player in Isotopes history to reach base in at least 31 consecutive contests (last: Sam Hilliard, 32: June 11, 2024-May 6, 2025). Hiura is one of three Albuquerque hitters to have at least 11 long balls this season, joining Yanquiel Fernández and Ryan Ritter.

- All nine of the starting position players in Albuquerque's lineup recorded at least one hit for the seventh time in 2025 (last: May 27 vs. Sugar Land).

- El Paso recorded 17 hits, the Isotopes sixth time relenting at least that many in a contest, and second in the last six games (Las Vegas - 19 on June 26).

- Chihuahuas starter Miguel Cienfuegos became the sixth opposing hurler to allow at least eight runs to Albuquerque in 2025.

On Deck: The Isotopes will look to make it three-straight victories over El Paso tomorrow evening. The Independence Day weekend celebration begins with the first of back-to-back postgame firework shows (weather permitting), presented by Rio Grande Credit Union tomorrow. Thursday and Friday's contests have a special start time of 7:05 pm. Right-handed pitcher Ryan Feltner is scheduled to start for Albuquerque, opposed by Chihuahuas southpaw Wes Benjamin.

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