Isotopes find one-run success in 5-4 win over Oklahoma
May 5, 2005 - Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Albuquerque Isotopes News Release
After being on the losing end of two straight one-run decisions, the Albuquerque Isotopes (14-14) prevailed by the slimmest of margins by beating the Oklahoma RedHawks (15-13) by a score of 5-4 Thursday night at SBC Bricktown Ballpark. The win breaks an Albuquerque three-game losing streak overall and six-game skid to the RedHawks.
Catcher Josh Willingham delivered the big hit for the Topes in the top of the eighth-inning, breaking a 4-4 tie with an RBI single to score Mike Colangelo with the go-ahead run. The Albuquerque bullpen did the rest as reliever Ben Howard pitched a perfect eighth before giving way to closer J.B. Miadich, who put Oklahoma runners on the corners with two out in the ninth but wriggled out of the jam for his third save of the season.
Throughout the evening, the Isotopes took the lead only to have the RedHawks storm back. After Albuquerque jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first inning on Joe Dillons sixth home run of the season, Oklahoma answered in the bottom of the second with a home run off of the bat of Jason Botts to tie the contest at one.
The Isotopes broke through again in the third when Derek Wathans sacrifice fly plated Josh Wilson, and again in the fourth when Wilson hit a two-run single to give Albuquerque a 4-1 lead, its biggest lead in four games at Oklahoma. But once again, the Hawks responded with a Gerald Laird RBI single in the bottom of the fourth frame followed by a Greg Colbrunn run-scoring double to cut the Topes lead to 4-3. The very next inning, Oklahoma plated the equalizer on a lead-off home run by Will Smith but Albuquerque was able to shut the door to preserve the 5-4 victory.
Starter Frank Castillo (3-2) earned the win after a solid pitching performance in which he yielded four runs on eight hits through seven strong innings, while Oklahoma reliever Kelvin Jimenez (0-2) suffered the defeat.
Albuquerque will return to Isotopes Park, site of the 2007 Triple-A All-Star Game, for its longest homestand of the 2005 campaign on Friday when it welcomes in the Zephyrs for an action-packed series. The first 2,500 fans in attendance to Fridays contest will receive a free Isotopes baseball, courtesy Network Architechs. Tickets for all Topes games are available at the Isotopes Park Box Office, at local Ticketmaster outlets, Ticketmaster.com, and Ticketmaster by phone at 883-7800.
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