PCL1 New Orleans Baby Cakes

Isotopes Rally in Ninth to Defeat Zephyrs

Published on May 28, 2015 under Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
New Orleans Baby Cakes News Release


Kyle Parker delivered a two-run single with two outs in the top of the ninth inning to cap a three-run rally for the Albuquerque Isotopes, who defeated the New Orleans Zephyrs on Thursday night, 4-2.

The Zephyrs were in search of only their second series sweep dating back to the 2012 season, and first of Albuquerque since 2008.

All three runs in the ninth were unearned after back-to-back errors by the Zephyrs, who came into the game with only 20 errors on the season, the fewest in all of Minor League Baseball.

Miguel Rojas booted a grounder by Tim Smalling, and pitcher Salvador Sanchez was indecisive on a sacrifice bunt attempt before throwing wildly to put two runners on.

Roger Bernadina bunted both runners into scoring position before Angelys Nina stroked a game-tying single to left. Sanchez struck out Drew Stubbs for the second out, but Parker's line drive gave Albuquerque the lead.

Tommy Kahnle (1-2) worked around a two-out walk in the bottom of the ninth to close out the Isotopes' first win of the season when trailing after eight innings.

The game was a pitchers duel for much of the night, as Isotopes starter David Hale needed only 26 pitches (21 strikes) to breeze through the first four innings. The Zephyrs collected three hits through the first five frames, but followed each hit with a double play.

Justin Nicolino was almost as good, matching Hale's zeroes until Parker led off the fourth with a towering home run to left-center field.

The score remained 1-0 until the seventh, when Rojas roped a leadoff single to left, giving the Pacific Coast League's third-leading hitter a hit in 35 of 41 games this season.

Jordany Valdespin followed with a line drive into the right fielder corner that scooted past a sliding Tim Wheeler, allowing Rojas to score and Valdespin to race into third with his third triple of the year.

On the next pitch, Isotopes catcher Ryan Casteel threw wildly to third on a pickoff attempt, and Valdespin trotted home with the go-ahead run.

The Z's had a chance to add insurance runs in the eighth, loading the bases with one out against Rex Brothers. But Albuquerque brought in Kahnle, who extinguished the threat by striking out Valdespin and getting Cole Gillespie to fly out in the Zephyrs' only two at-bats of the game with runners in scoring position.

Sanchez (1-2) suffered the loss by allowing three unearned runs in the ninth. Nicolino finished with seven strikeouts in seven innings and scattered seven hits.

The Zephyrs travel to Reno to begin an eight-game road trip on Friday night. First pitch for the opener of the four-game set against the Aces is set for 9:05 p.m.

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Pacific Coast League Stories from May 28, 2015


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