PCL1 Albuquerque Isotopes

'Topes Fall Short In Home Finale

Published on August 25, 2008 under Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Albuquerque Isotopes News Release


Jai Miller smashed a two-run homer in the bottom of the eighth to bring the Albuquerque Isotopes (63-73) within one, but it wasn't enough as the New Orleans Zephyrs (63-73) held on for a 7-6 win Sunday night in the final game of the home 2008 season at Isotopes Park. The team finished with a bang at the turnstiles, drawing 13,576, the sixth largest crowd in team history, that helped set a new franchise standard for total attendance in a single season with 593,606 as well as a record for per-game average attendance with 8,361.

For the third straight game, the Z's jumped out first as Michel Abreu led the second inning off by absorbing a pitch with his elbow and racing around the bases when former ‘Tope Chris Aguila hammered a line-drive triple to straight away center, giving the Zephyrs an early 1-0 lead. Robinson Cancel followed with a single up the middle that knocked in Aguila and allowed New Orleans to double its lead to two, 2-0.

The Zephyrs came calling for more in the fourth, when Abreu once again ignited a rally, this time by singling past the shortstop into shallow left before Aguila slapped a single into right field that advanced Abreu to second. With runners on first and second, a passed ball by Paul Hoover allowed the runners to advance into scoring position. On the very next pitch, starter Frankie De La Cruz threw wildly to the backstop allowing Abreu to score the Z's third run as Aguila slid into third. Andy Green then hit a sacrifice fly to left field deep enough to plate Aguila and give the Zephyrs a four-run edge, 4-0.

Trot Nixon added to the Zephyrs lead by hammering a two-run blast in the fifth that gave New Orleans a commanding 6-0 lead.

The never-say-die ‘Topes, under the tutelage of incomparable hitting coach Steve Phillips, finally showed life in the bottom of the fifth, as Chase Lambin singled to lead off the inning and advanced to second on a walk to pinch-hitter Lee Mitchell, putting two on for the red-hot Robert Andino, who delivered a single to center that scored Lambin with the ‘Topes' first run. After a fielder's choice force-out at second moved Mitchell to third, Tagg Bozied sent him home with a sacrifice fly that cut the New Orleans advantage to 6-2.

Albuquerque inched even closer in the sixth when Jason Wood and Miller hit back-to-back singles before Michael Ryan hammered a two-out, pinch-hit double to right-center that plated both runners and brought the Isotopes to within 6-4.

In the seventh, New Orleans manufactured a priceless run of insurance, as Anderson Machado drew a lead-off walk from Albuquerque reliever Scott Nestor, swiped second, advanced to third on a fly-out to center, and scored on a single up the middle by Ramon Martinez to give the Z's a three-run cushion.

The visitors would need every run of that cushion as Wood led off the eighth with a single before Miller blasted a two-run homer off the scoreboard in left center to bring the resilient ‘Topes to within 7-6.

That's as close as the uprising would come, however, as closer Carlos Muniz (9) came on and retired the Isotopes in order in the ninth to preserve the 7-6 triumph and help the Z's avoid a five-game series sweep by the ‘Topes.

The Isotopes home season concluded Sunday, but the team will head out on the road for eight games to finish out the 2008 campaign. Albuquerque opens a four game set in Nashville on Monday against the Sounds with left-hander Chris Seddon (9-9, 5.21) taking on Sounds lefty Chris Narveson (6-12, 5.14) in a 5:00 PM MT start from Greer Stadium.

While the 2008 home season is in the books, it's never too early to start thinking about 2009 at The Lab! For information on Isotopes 2009 season tickets and mini-plans, please call (505) 924-2255.

Check out the Albuquerque Isotopes Statistics

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Pacific Coast League Stories from August 25, 2008


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