近距离内射合集

When the Albuquerque Isotopes aren鈥檛 working on their swing in the cage, loosening up in the bullpen, traveling around the Pacific Coast League or playing games out on Rio Grande Credit Union Field, the hottest competition at Isotopes Park actually comes from within their own clubhouse.

And it has nothing to do with baseball.

Call it team bonding, a much-needed release of steam, or just a way to kill the time 鈥� that green, 9-foot by 5-foot, multiuse pingpong table in the center of the Isotopes Park clubhouse has become a vital member of the team.

But we鈥檙e not talking friendly little matches before first pitch.

鈥淚t gets heated, man,鈥� Isotopes outfielder Sam Hilliard said during an interview in the clubhouse last week. 鈥淚 mean, right now, it鈥檚 being used as a lunch table, but whenever that gets cleared off and games get going, it gets pretty heated.鈥�

Of course Hilliard is one of the best on the team 鈥� not only in the batters box, but with the paddle in his hand, too.

鈥淚鈥檇 say I have a little finesse in my game 鈥� a little finesse/power combination that works well,鈥� he said.

But he did acknowledge one teammate in particular had his number: Former Isotopes infielder Aaron Schunk, who is currently in the majors with the Colorado Rockies.

Schunk, who played a lot of pingpong in high school and at the University of Georgia baseball clubhouse, took the Mile High road when asked about the Isotopes clubhouse battles.

鈥淣o trash talking, just playing for fun,鈥� Schunk said when reached by the Journal in Denver last week. 鈥淪am鈥檚 good. I just got the edge on him the times we played.鈥�

One of his Rockies teammates, who also was on the Isotopes roster last month, had a little more bravado in his answer, even singling out the guy he felt talked the most trash in a clubhouse full of young, highly competitive professional athletes.

鈥淐arson Palmquist loves talking trash. He鈥檚 not very good (at pingpong), though,鈥� said Rockies pitcher Zach Agnos, owner of one of the game鈥檚 most impressive mustaches and also considered one of the team鈥檚 top pingpong players. 鈥淚 would talk trash back, a lot of us would. But Palmquist was definitely the leader of that, he just didn鈥檛 have the (pingpong skills) to back it up.鈥�

As for who had Agnos鈥� number? The 24-year-old righty said it was probably Hilliard.

鈥淒ude has one of the best serves I鈥檝e ever seen,鈥� Agnos said. 鈥淚t was so soft and easy, then when he鈥檇 go to hit it, his wrist would just snap and the had ball a ton of top spin 鈥� it would barely get over the net and then just shoot off the table. It was tough.鈥�

Hilliard says pingpong has been a good outlet for the team.

鈥淥bviously we鈥檙e all competitive and probably all have been most of our lives getting to this point,鈥� Hilliard said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 hard to just turn that off sometimes, so even a little thing like pingpong can help out quite a bit.鈥�

Know the foe

The Isotopes (13-19, ninth PCL, Colorado Rockies affiliate) start a six-game road series against the Oklahoma City Comets (22-11, second PCL, Los Angeles Dodgers affiliate) at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark on Tuesday with the series concluding on Sunday.

Still streaking

Isotopes鈥� OF Sam Hilliard鈥檚 on-base streak is up to 31-consecutive games, dating to last season.

He also has 230 RBIs, passing Jordan Patterson (229, 2016-18) for second all-time with the Isotopes during the previous week鈥檚 homestand. Jason Wood (2003-06, 08) drove in 328.

Comets? Come again?

The Oklahoma City baseball club has had several nicknames through the years, including 鈥淏aseball Club.鈥�

After last season, in a shout-out to Commerce, Oklahoma native Mickey Mantle, whose nickname was the 鈥淐ommerce Comet,鈥� the team changed its name to the Comets.

Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark, where the Isotopes play this week, is located on 2 Mickey Mantle Drive in Oklahoma City and features a 7-foot-6-inch statue of the 鈥淭he Mick.鈥�

As for other names of the OKC ball club since its inception in 1962: 89ers (1962-1997), RedHawks (1998-2014), Dodgers (2015-2023), Baseball Club (2024) and Comets (present).

PCL Players of the Month

The Pacific Coast League鈥檚 Player of the Month for April was Reno Aces IF Jordan Lawlar, who led the league in average (.408), runs (31), total bases (77), slugging percentage (.748) and OPS (1.235). The 22-year-old was drafted by the Arizona Diamondbacks with the number six pick of the first round of the 2021 MLB Draft.

The PCL Pitcher of the Week was Las Vegas Aviators righty Gunnar Hoglund, who was 1-2 with an ERA of 2.10, allowing just six earned runs in 25.2 innings over five starts while striking out 27 hitters. Now in the Athletics organization, Hogland was a first round draft pick (No. 19 overall) of the Toronto Blue Jays in the 2021 MLB Draft.

Green light

It was go time for Green Chile last week.

While the rain was good for New Mexico鈥檚 favorite crop, who won three of five mascot races during the homestand (there was no race Sunday), it made for less-than-ideal, even soggy conditions for Taco (one win) and Salsa Jar (one win).

Isotopes Park Chile Race standings as of May 5 (17 races):

7 wins 鈥� Salsa Jar

5 wins 鈥� Green Chile

4 wins 鈥� Taco

1 win 鈥� Red Chile

NOTE: It is with extreme regret we report last week鈥檚 Chile Race standings in this space shortchanged Salsa Jar one victory. The accurate tally is noted above.

Next homestand

The Isotopes return home for a six-game homestand May 13-18 against the visiting Tacoma Rainiers, the Triple-A affiliate of the Seattle Mariners.