Green Chile Cheeseburgers Fall to Aviators, 12-7

Albuquerque, NM – On a night in which 15,619 fans packed Isotopes Park for Green Chile Cheeseburgers Night and a silent auction featuring memorabilia from the TV show “Breaking Bad,” the visiting Las Vegas Aviators were able to hold off Albuquerque for a 12-7 win Saturday. The crowd ranks as the largest in all of Minor League Baseball this season, and the ninth-largest in Isotopes Park history.

Despite the loss, Albuquerque will have a second chance to claim a series victory over Las Vegas if they triumph tomorrow.

For the second consecutive game, Matt Davidson led off the second inning with a homer to left to give Las Vegas (51-46) a brief 1-0 lead.

Albuquerque (46-52) fired up the home crowd in the second, plating four runs after the bases were empty with two outs. Coco Montes singled and Bret Boswell doubled, then Jimmy Herron crushed a pitch over the left-center field wall for his first Triple-A homer. Wynton Bernard re-started the rally with a base hit and scored on a triple by Dom Nuñez to deep center.

The Aviators began their onslaught in the third. Topes starter Brandon Gold gave up two-run homers to Shea Langeliers and Billy McKinney as the visitors went in front 5-4.

Gold was pulled after three, but Las Vegas got to Zach Neal courtesy of a two-run homer by rehabbing A’s infielder Jed Lowrie.

Nick Kennedy allowed four runs in the sixth, all with two outs. Sheldon Neuse and Kevin Smith each knocked home a run with a base hit before Cristian Pache grounded a two-run double down the third-base line, giving the Aviators a commanding 11-4 lead.

The Green Chile Cheeseburgers tried to mount a comeback in the sixth. With two outs, Boswell lifted an opposite-field two-run homer to cut the deficit to five. Later in the frame, Albuquerque loaded the bases and Elehuris Montero drew a walk to make it 11-7 Vegas. However, Carlos Pérez popped to second to end the rally.

Lowrie connected on his second homer of the night in the seventh, wrapping the scoring. Albuquerque put two runners on in the seventh and eighth but never seriously threatened the rest of the way.

Topes Scope: - 15,619 fans in attendance ranks as the ninth-largest crowd in Isotopes Park history, and the largest that wasn’t part of an Independence Day celebration or Mariachis game.

- This was the largest crowd in all of Minor League Baseball this season. Triple-A Buffalo ranks second with 15,490 fans on June 11. Albuquerque also has the third-largest in 2022, when 15,190 fans came to The Lab on May 14.

- The Isotopes have drawn 10,000 or more fans to a game six times this season (12,596 on April 30; 15,190 on May 14; 10,464 on May 28; 10,893 on July 2; 12,593 on July 3 and 15,619 tonight).

- The Green Chile Cheeseburgers dropped to 1-5 all time, and 1-4 in Albuquerque. They lost 15-10 in Omaha on June 9, 2018, when the Storm Chasers played as the Runzas.

- Boswell tallied his first four-hit game since Aug. 23, 2019 for Double-A Hartford vs. Reading.

- Herron homered for the first time since July 1 with Double-A Hartford, and it was his first multi-hit game at Triple-A.

- Sean Bouchard has been in a slump at the plate. He is just 9-for-39 since July 14, although three of the hits are home runs, including a grand slam. He is 0-for-8 the last two games, just the fifth time he has gone consecutive hitless ballgames at Triple-A this year.

- Gold surrendered multiple home runs in a game for the seventh time this season, it was his fourth time giving up three. He has now relented 20 long balls in his last 11 appearances dating back to May 25. Gold has given up the second most homers (22) in the PCL, behind Parker Dunshee (Las Vegas) and A.J. Alexy (Round Rock) who have each allowed 23.

- The Isotopes gave up five homers, tied for the second-most in a contest this season (five times). They had most recently relented five on July 23 vs. Sugar Land.

- Albuquerque pitching has had a tough time containing Shea Langeliers, as he is 10-for-22 with three doubles, two homers and six RBI in five games this series.

- Kennedy surrendered four runs in an appearance for the first time since July 16, 2021, with Double-A Hartford vs. New Hampshire.

- Julian Fernández struck out four batters in an outing for the first time since Aug. 19, 2017, with Single-A Asheville at Lexington.

- Aviators starter Collin Wiles threw 101 pitches, the most for an opposing pitcher against the Topes this season. Janson Junk (at Salt Lake, May 21) and Ryan Weathers (vs. El Paso, June 8) both hit the century mark with 100.

- McKinney hit two triples for Las Vegas. The last three players to hit a pair of three-baggers against the Isotopes in a game have all been Aviators: Viamel Machin on Aug. 20, 2021, Luis Barrera on June 22 this year and McKinney on Saturday.

- Jed Lowrie became the 14th player to have a multi-home run game against the Topes in 2022. The last was Sam Huff on July 8 at Round Rock.

On Deck: The Isotopes will look to claim a series victory Sunday evening when right-handed pitcher Karl Kauffmann takes the hill. Left-hander Jared Koenig is scheduled to start for the Aviators. First pitch is slated for 6:05 p.m.