Another good outing from Frankie

 

The Albuquerque Isotopes (36-38) scored 10 runs in the first two innings and held on for a 10-6 triumph over the Iowa Cubs (43-44) in the two teams' series opener Saturday night at Isotopes Park. Starting pitcher Frankie De La Cruz took a no-hitter into the sixth, while John Baker collected a pair of hits, including a two-run homer. For the eighth straight game, including Friday night's suspended contest in Memphis, the Isotopes plated runs in the first inning, this time scoring six times on the I-Cubs in the opening stanza. Lorenzo Scott led off the first with a double and advanced to third on a single by Jai Miller, before Chris Barnwell drew a walk to load the bases. John Gall then bounced a grounder to third that was picked up Casey McGehee, who, after realizing that he didn't have a play on Scott streaking to the plate, threw wildly to first, allowing Miller to score as well, giving Albuquerque a 2-0 lead. Andrew Beattie added an RBI single scoring Barnwell before John Baker singled to once again load the bases. Hot-hitting Chase Lambin then came through with the inning's big blow, blasting a triple to right-center that cleared the bases and extended the Isotopes' first-inning advantage to 6-0.

 

The 'Topes were far from satisfied with the six-run first, coming back for more in the second inning when Miller led off the frame with a towering solo home run that gave Albuquerque a 7-0 lead. The long-ball proved to be the weapon of choice for the Isotopes in the second, as Dallas McPherson followed with a line-drive solo blast to right before Beattie singled and Baker immediately picked him up with a monstrous two-run shot to right on the first pitch he saw, padding the lead to 10-0 'Topes.

 

That was plenty for De La Cruz (9-3), who faced the minimum through five no-hit innings, the only base runner allowed being a one-out walk to Andres Blanco that was immediately erased by a double-play. The right-hander allowed just one ball to leave the infield over that span while striking out six.

 

Iowa finally got to De La Cruz in the sixth, when Koyie Hill led off the frame with a single, breaking up the burgeoning no-hitter. Blanco followed with a single of his own before relief pitcher Hector Carrasco drew a walk to load the bases for Andres Torres, who belted a grand-slam to right that put the I-Cubs on the board 10-4. With one down, De La Cruz hit Jason Dubois in front of Ben Broussard, who added a two run shot to left to bring Iowa back to within four at 10-6.

 

The five hits racked up in the sixth would be all Iowa would muster, however, as the Isotopes bullpen made sure the lead would stand. Randy Williams threw two beautiful shutout frames, striking out three, before handing the ball to Ross Wolf in the ninth. After McGehee drew a lead-off walk, Scales drove a ground ball to Beattie at second, who threw errantly to Barnwell covering the second base bag, giving Iowa runners on first and second with nobody out. Marc Gwyn (3) would quell the uprising, however, coaxing Hill into a double-play and Blanco into a groundout at first to wrap his third save of the season and seal the 10-6 triumph.

 

Albuquerque will look to make it three in a row, and five straight at home, when lefty Chris Michalak (0-1, 9.64) takes the hill against Iowa right-hander Justin Berg (1-4, 6.64) in a 6:05 PM start at Isotopes Park.

 

The 'Topes' short four-game homestand rolls on Sunday with an appearance by Myron Noodleman as well as pre-game Albuquerque Journal autographs with John Gall and Tagg Bozied.

De La Cruz has been absolutely wonderful down there, pitching in one of the most extreme hitting parks in all of the minors.

 

2009 is going to be so much fun to see how we sort through all these arms...

What is this guy still doing in Albuquerque?

He's doing great, but I hate the name Frankie being forced on him.

McDallas is also having a tremendous month of June. .339/.473/.746 with 13 BB/17K. If there were room for him he'd deserve a call-up.