Go Time: OKC heads to ALB

That's what faces the RedHawks now, after they zipped through June and July with a record of 32-20. The Hawks have won 23 of their last 34 games.

The RedHawks begin a four-game series at Albuquerque tonight. Albuquerque leads Oklahoma City by 1 ½ games in the Pacific Coast League's American South. And the division rivals will not meet again this season.

"It's a big series, man," RedHawks manager Bobby Jones said. "We've got to go over there and show that we can play with them."

Actually, the RedHawks have played Albuquerque to a standstill, as the season series is tied 6-6. The Isotopes won five of the first eight games in the series, all at The Brick. In the latest series, at Albquerque, the RedHawks lost game one, then won the final three games in the series.

"And we didn't hit a single home run. It was unbelievable," Jones said. "But that's the thing. We can't win by swinging like that. We've got to keep with the gameplan we've got right now."

With six weeks left in the regular season, Oklahoma City and Albuquerque seem to be the only contenders In the PCL American South. Round Rock and New Orleans are 10 ½ and 11 ½ games behind.

The Oklahoma City-at-Albuquerque series will end on the final day of July. Then comes August, in which the RedHawks are scheduled to play 17 of 30 games on the road.

Oklahoma City and Albuquerque are two of the hottest teams in the PCL. The RedHawks have won 11 of their last 14 games, the Isotopes 10 of their last 13.

"It's been us two basically all year long," Jones said of the Hawks and Topes. "They've been hot and we've been hot. If we hadn't been winning we'd be six games back by now. But we've stayed right them. It's a real big series."

Albuquerque, playing half of its games in the light air of New Mexico, are third in the PCL in home runs, with 99. The RedHawks have the less than half that many homers, with 49, last in the league.

"We're not a home run hitting team. We're not going to bash with them. But we can pitch," Jones said. "So we've got to make our pitches so they don't hit three-run homers and put us in a hole. If we do that, we'll be fine."

The RedHawks' most valuable player, PCL All-Star third baseman Esteban German, has struggled against Albuquerque. He is batting .167 against the Isotopes and .351 against the rest of the league.

Albuquerque slugger Mitch Jones leads the PCL in home runs (25) and slugging percentage (.649). He's hitting .419 against the RedHawks, with six homers and 13 RBIs in eight games.

"We've been putting too much over the middle of the plate against him," Jones said, "and every time we made a mistake he hit it. So we've got to pitch him different. We've got to go inside on him more and keep the ball inside. If we throw it over the plate where he can get his arms extended, it's a home run."

Albuquerque's scheduled starting pitcher in game one Tuesday night is knuckleball Charlie Haeger, who leads the league in innings pitched and is third in wins, with a 9-6 record and 3.87 ERA. He has won all three of his starts against the RedHawks, including a four-hit complete game.

"He's pretty tough," Jones said. "He's a knuckleballer, so when he's good, he's good, and when he's not, he's not. When we've faced him he's been real good."