Morales' Heroics Propel Isotopes to First Walk-Off Victory of Season
Published on May 29, 2022 under Pacific Coast League (PCL)
Albuquerque Isotopes News Release
Albuquerque, NM - Catcher Jonathan Morales had the first and last laugh on Sunday night at Isotopes Park. He drove in Albuquerque's first three runs with a double and two-run homer, but the visiting Round Rock Express fought back multiple times, eventually tying the game at 7. Morales stepped to the plate with one on and one out in the ninth and lined a double to right-right center gap, giving the Isotopes an 8-7 victory.
The Isotopes plated the game's initial run when Morales plated Bret Boswell with a double in the second.
After Leody Taveras tied it in the fourth with a two-out homer for Round Rock, Morales struck again in the bottom half. In similar fashion, with Boswell on first and two outs, Morales hit a towering fly ball into the Isotopes' bullpen for his first home run of the year, a two-run blast that made it 3-1.
Elehuris Montero extended Albuquerque's advantage to 4-1 in the fifth when he clobbered a 437-foot solo homer off the roof of the Smith's Pavilion in left field, his 10th of the campaign.
Zach Reks connected on a two-out, two-run homer into Round Rock's bullpen to cut their deficit to 4-3 in the top of the sixth, but the Isotopes had an answer in the bottom half. Morales was hit by a pitch with one out, D.J. Peterson singled and Ryan Vilade walked to load the bases. Sean Bouchard hit a sacrifice fly before Montero walked and Scott Schebler delivered a two-run single, upping Albuquerque's advantage to 7-3.
Express catcher Yohel Pozo launched a one-out homer off Jake Bird in the seventh, making it a 7-4 ballgame. With Justin Lawrence on the mound in the eighth, Josh Smith walked, Leody Taveras singled and Reks launched his second homer of the game, a three-run clout that tied it at 7.
Zach Lee shut the Express down in the top of the ninth, setting the stage for Morales' heroics. Bret Boswell reached on a one-out infield hit before Morales drove his ball to the right-center gap. Center fielder Bubba Thompson made a full-out, lunging effort but fell short, and Boswell raced around the bases to start the celebration.
Topes Scope: - Albuquerque picked up their first walk-off victory since Sept. 24, when Alan Trejo hit a two-run homer to defeat the Reno Aces.
- Morales' homer was his first since Aug. 20, 2021 (with AAA Gwinnett-Braves), breaking a string of 119 at-bats without a long ball.
- Montero became the first Isotope to reach double-figures in home runs this season. He is the eighth player in the Pacific Coast League to have 10 or more long balls in 2022.
- Smith completed six innings; just the fourth time a Topes pitcher has done so in 2022 (all four have been quality starts - Dillon Overton, 4/19 and 4/24 at Round Rock; Zach Neal on 5/15 vs. Sugar Land). - Smith finished six frames for the first time since April 10, 2021, when he earned the victory for the Arizona Diamondbacks vs. Cincinnati. He struck out seven batters for the first time since Sept. 22, 2020, in a start for Arizona vs. Texas.
- Wynton Bernard registered his team-leading 15th multi-hit game of the season.
- After striking out 28 times in his first 18 games, D.J. Peterson has fanned just five times in his last eight contests. - Bird allowed just his fourth run in 15 innings over his last 12 appearances dating back to April 28. He has a 2.40 ERA during that timeframe.
- Lawrence didn't allow a long ball over his first 17 outings this season combined between Colorado and Albuquerque but has done so in his last two appearances: Josh VanMeter at Pittsburgh on Wednesday and Reks tonight.
- The win marked just the second for the Isotopes on the Sunday before Memorial Day since 2006 (beat OKC in 2012).
- Albuquerque has now split four series this season. Each of their last three home sets have resulted in a split (vs. SAC and SUG).
On Deck: After taking Memorial Day off, the Isotopes begin a six-game series in Sugar Land on Tuesday at 6:05 p.m. MT. Albuquerque is slated to send lefty Dillon Overton to the bump against Space Cowboys right-hander JP France in the series opener at Constellation Field.
Pacific Coast League Stories from May 29, 2022
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- Morales' Heroics Propel Isotopes to First Walk-Off Victory of Season - Albuquerque Isotopes
- Salt Lake Wins Series against Sacramento 4-2 - Salt Lake Bees
- Aces Defeat Dodgers - Oklahoma City Comets
- De Jesus Dazzles, River Cats Drop Series Finale on a 4-Run Salt Lake 7th - Sacramento River Cats
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