Late Rally Not Enough as Isotopes Fall, 4-3
Published on April 6, 2024 under Pacific Coast League (PCL)
Albuquerque Isotopes News Release
Oklahoma City, OK - In yet another close game between long-time Pacific Coast League rivals, the Oklahoma City Baseball Club was able to outlast the Isotopes on Saturday night.
Albuquerque trailed 1-0 after seven innings but took a 2-1 lead in the eighth, punctuated by a Coco Montes RBI single. Oklahoma City took advantage of wildness from the Isotopes bullpen in the bottom half to plate three runs and go in front, 4-2.
In the ninth, Drew Romo's run-scoring single made it 4-3 and moved the tying run 90 feet away with only one out, but Ricky Vanasco struck out the final two batters to end it.
Dodgers pitcher Walker Buehler started for Oklahoma City on a rehab and was dominant, tossing 4.2 innings of scoreless baseball with just two hits allowed, no walks and six strikeouts. Buehler is returning from Tommy John Surgery in June 2022.
Topes Scope: - Albuquerque's last 10 games have all been decided by one or two runs, dating back to the final two contests of 2023. The previous longest streak to start a season was when the Isotopes played three consecutive one-run games to begin the 2022 campaign in Oklahoma City.
- Tonight was the 80th time in 265 all-time meetings (30%) between the Isotopes and Redhawks/Dodgers/Baseball Club that there has been a one-run decision.
- Albuquerque did not steal a base for the first time in eight contests this season. Additionally, it snapped their streak of 15 straight road games with at least one theft, dating back to Aug. 31 at Sacramento.
- At the plate, Isotopes hitters struck out 16 times, their most since July 7, also at Oklahoma City. They have reached double-digits in punchouts in five of eight games in 2024.
- Albuquerque has lost a series for the first time since Aug. 8-13 at Round Rock (six-game sweep).
- Sean Bouchard doubled in the fourth, his seventh consecutive game with an extra-base hit. It is the longest such streak for an Isotopes player since Sam Hilliard also did it in seven-straight from April 18-27, 2019. Bouchard batted leadoff for the first time in 492 games as a professional.
- Hilliard was 2-for-4 tonight, tallying his second multi-hit game of the year. He has hit safely in five of his last six games, while reaching base in all of them.
- Romo's RBI single in the ninth snapped an 0-for-15 drought, dating back to Opening Night.
- Aaron Schunk was 0-for-3, dropping to 3-for-27 on the season. He has only walked twice, meaning his on-base percentage is currently .167.
- Julio Carreras struck out three times tonight, becoming the second Isotope this season to suffer the fate (Greg Jones, March 30 vs. El Paso).
- Oklahoma City left 15 runners on base. On three separate occassions, Miguel Vargas came up to bat with the bases loaded and failed to bring a single runner home.
- Josh Rogers issued Albuquerque's first bases-loaded walk of the season, after the club relented 27 last year. Rogers also gave up the most recent before tonight, a free pass to Jonny DeLuca on Sept. 23 vs. Oklahoma City.
- For the second time in the series, Matt Koch entered in the eighth inning and allowed the eventual game-winning runs to score. All three runs in the frame were charged to Evan Justice tonight, as Koch entered when it was 2-2.
- The Isotopes dropped to 2-5 on dates they play on the same day as the NCAA men's Final Four. Their most recent win came April 6, 2013 against the Iowa Cubs.
- The start of the game was pushed back 35 minutes by rain, Albuquerque's first weather delay since a pregame shower on Sept. 7 vs. Reno (23 minutes).
On Deck: Right-handed pitcher Thomas Ponticelli is slated to start tomorrow's series finale for the Isotopes, and Oklahoma City is undecided. First pitch from Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark is set for 1:05 pm MT (2:05 CT).
Pacific Coast League Stories from April 6, 2024
- El Paso Defeats Round Rock 7-2 to Take Series Lead - Round Rock Express
- Chihuahuas Win Over Round Rock, 7-2 - El Paso Chihuahuas
- Rallies Not Enough For Sacramento Against Reno - Sacramento River Cats
- Aces Smash Three Homeruns En Route To Second Win Over River Cats - Reno Aces
- Space Cowboys Claim First Series Victory With 5-3 Win Over Las Vegas - Sugar Land Space Cowboys
- OKC Baseball Club Earn 4-3 win Against the Albuquerque Isotopes - Oklahoma City Comets
- Late Rally Not Enough as Isotopes Fall, 4-3 - Albuquerque Isotopes
- OKC Baseball Club Game Notes - April 6, 2024 - Oklahoma City Comets
- Aviators Host Salt Lake (April 9-14) & Tacoma (April 16-21) in Season-Long 12-Game Homestand at Las Vegas Ballpark - Las Vegas Aviators
- Today's Game at Salt Lake Postponed - Tacoma Rainiers
- Bees-Rainiers Postponed on Saturday - Salt Lake Bees
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