ALBUQUERQUE ISOTOPES
Topes Notes: Yes, it's early, but it's also been a long time since the Isotopes have looked this good
Updates on chile races, leading PCL in runs scored, who's hot and more
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Stop the count!
After winning nine of their past 12 games, your Albuquerque Isotopes are sitting pretty at 12-9 鈥� the first time the team has been three games above .500 since having an 11-8 record on April 21, 2023.
The 鈥橳opes, without a winning season in more than a decade, have a long way to go to end that streak, of course, but there is no denying they aren鈥檛 just winning, they are destroying teams, particularly at the plate.
Albuquerque clinched a 4-2 series victory against Oklahoma City with a 17-run outburst on Sunday, scored 56 runs over the past six games. The week before, it was 58 runs in a 5-1 series win at El Paso.
Can they keep it up?
The easy answer is no. If they scored at this pace all season, they鈥檇 shatter all sorts of baseball scoring records.
But there isn鈥檛 any reason to think that the Isotopes 鈥� a team with strong bats on the roster and some strong bats waiting in the wings at Double-A Hartford 鈥� can鈥檛 continue to ride out the good thing they have going right now deep into those dog days of summer.
Trivia time!
QUESTION: Since the Los Angeles Dodgers switched their Triple-A affiliate from Albuquerque to Oklahoma City for the 2015 season, the two teams have had 12 series played in Albuquerque. How many of those series played in Albuquerque have the Isotopes won?
ANSWER: See below ...
Know the foe
The Isotopes hit the road for a six-game Pacific Coast League series at Sutter Health Park in Sacramento against the River Cats, Tuesday through Sunday.
Isotopes, Triple-A affiliate of the Colorado Rockies, 12-9 overall, fourth place PCL
Sacramento River Cats, Triple-A affiliate of the San Francisco Giants, 11-8 overall, tied for second place PCL
What鈥檚 up, Chuck?
Pointing out in this space a week ago that the Isotopes鈥� Charlie Condon, the elite home-run hitting prospect, hadn鈥檛 hit a home run in front of the home fans was admittedly early.
He had, after all, played in only two home games at the time.
But now, after the No. 3 overall pick in the 2024 MLB Draft out of the University of Georgia has played in seven home games at Isotopes Park? Well, Condon still has zero homers.
Condon road games: 8
Condon road home runes: 4
Condon home games: 7
Condon home home runs: 0
What's up, Chuck? Albuquerque fans want some souvenirs!
Three up, three down
Some things that have been looking good lately for the 'Topes, some not so good.
Looking good:
The Isotopes have scored a PCL-best 138 runs this season, 114 of them coming in the past two series.
Isotopes pitchers have allowed just five runs in the first inning this season 鈥� by far the lowest total of runs allowed of any inning for Albuquerque. The Topes are outscoring opponents 14-5 in the first inning of their 21 games played.
Albuquerque's 37 stolen bases are eight more than any other Pacific Coast League team. Cole Carrigg鈥檚 11 stolen bases are two more than any other player in the league (and five more than third place).
Look away:
Though Condon was singled out above for a lack of home-game homers, truth is he鈥檚 not really alone. The Isotopes have hit just six homers in 12 home games this season 鈥� four of them coming Sunday (that鈥檚 two homers in the first 11 home games).
While that first inning has been nice to the Isotopes, Albuquerque opponents are outscoring the Topes 28-10 in the fifth inning. The only other inning the Isotopes are 鈥渓osing鈥� this season is the ninth with opponents outscoring them 8-3. Albuquerque is tied or winning the run differential in all other innings this season.
OKC鈥檚 Zach Erhard hit the first inside-the-park grand slam in Isotopes Park history in the Comets 9-6 win over Albuquerque on April 14. Isotopes pitcher Luis Peralta walked four batters in the inning before the grand slam in a 5-0 second inning for the Comets.
Fast food
Taco, winless in the chile races in the Isotopes鈥� first homestand, won two of the first five races of this past homestand, climbing back up the standings.
Mysteriously, there was no race on Sunday.
Clearly, Big Salsa is getting nervous and doesn鈥檛 want Taco making a run at this year鈥檚 title. Fear not, the Journal is going to uncover every stone and get to the bottom of the shenanigans!
2026 season standings (11 races):
6 wins 鈥� Salsa Jar
2 wins 鈥� Taco
2 wins 鈥� Red Chile
1 wins 鈥� Green Chile
What are they doing?
Here鈥檚 another periodic check-in on some (not all) of the fun promos the 鈥渙ther guys鈥� are doing when the Isotopes are in their ballpark.
Tuesday: $2 hot dogs, ice cream and other concession items.
Wednesday: Day drinking! My phrase, not theirs, but there is $2 off wine throughout the ballpark for this noon-starting game in wine country.
Friday: Sweatshirt giveaway
Next home game
The Isotopes return home for a six-game set against the El Paso Chihuahuas on Tuesday, April 28.
Trivia answer
Three.
In the 12 series the Los Angeles Dodgers' Triple A affiliate has played in Albuquerque since the Dodgers abandoned the Duke City, the Isotopes have won the series three times, lost six times and tied three times.
The wins: 4-2, last Tuesday through Sunday; 4-2 in May 2021; and 3-1 in May 2017.
Also, in that time, OKC has had three team names: Oklahoma City Dodgers, Oklahoma City Baseball Club, and now the Oklahoma City Comets.
Reach Geoff Grammer at ggrammer@abqjournal.com or follow him on Twitter (X) .
