Express Sweep Doubleheader Over Isotopes on Saturday Night

HOW IT HAPPENED – GAME 1 (7 INNINGS):

The E-Train got the doubleheader started right in the top of the first. With two men on, DH Jonah Bride singled to score 3B John Taylor from second base and it was 1-0. Round Rock added two more in the top of the third inning. RF Trevor Hauver laced a double down the right field side to score two runs and It was a 3-0 game.

The lead was pushed to 6-0 in the fifth frame. Following an RBI single from Hauver, 1B Diego Castillo drilled his second homer in as many games and the Express held a comfortable lead. In the home half, the Isotopes tallied a run on an RBI double from CF Brenton Doyle.

The E-Train added three in the sixth. A two-RBI single for CF Santago Espinal and a sacrifice fly for Hauver made it 9-1. Albuquerque added two in the home half thanks to a two-RBI triple for RF Conner Capel which cut the lead to 9-3. The Express added a pair of runs in the top of the seventh on an RBI single for LF Aaron Zavala and a sacrifice fly for Bride and Round Rock earned an 11-3 win.

HOW IT HAPPENED – GAME 2 (7 INNINGS):

The Express didn’t waste any time in Game 2 of the doubleheader. RF Trevor Hauver belted a leadoff homer to make it 1-0. In the second frame, SS Keyber Rodriguez doubled home one run before an RBI triple from C Julian Brock made it 3-0. Brock stole home when 1B John Taylor stole second. As the throw went to second base, Brock sprinted home ans it was 4-0.

DH Sterlin Thompson opened the scoring with a solo homer in the sixth as the Isotopes trailed, 4-1. In the bottom of the seventh, PH Adael Amador doubled to score one run before a sacrifice fly from 3B Ryan Ritter pulled Albuquerque to within one. With the tying run on third base and two outs, RHP Gavin Collyer induced a ground ball to Rodriguez to end the game and secure the 4-3 win.

E-TRAIN EXCERPTS:

WHERE WE STAND: The Express have won 3 straight games… second 3-game winning streak in the last month and the third of the season… looking for first 4-game winning streak of the season tomorrow… 3-2 in their last 5 and 6-4 in their last 10… will avoid a series loss in Albuquerque as they have not lost a series at Isotopes Park since August 1-3, 2018.

DOUBLEHEADER DOMINATION: With tonight’s doubleheader sweep, Round Rock is 30-8 in doubleheaders since 2021 and 26-6 since 2023 (includes suspended games played as two at a later date). They have not lost a doubleheader since July 5, 2019, at Oklahoma City. The Express are now 7-1 in doubleheaders in 2026.

PITCHING IN ABQ: Express pitchers have allowed five earned runs in the last 23.0 innings of work for 1.96 ERA since Thursday’s game… Round Rock pitchers own a 4.40 ERA (123 ER/251.1 IP) at Isotopes Park since the start of the 2024 season which is the second-lowest ERA among PCL clubs behind only Reno (4.15) but the Aces have played nine fewer games than the Express in Albuquerque in that span… Round Rock is 21-9 in their last 30… 36-18 at Isotopes Park since 2021.

OF TREVOR HAUVER: Went 2-for-2, 2B, 4 RBI, BB, R in Game 1… finished 1-for-4, HR, RBI, R, 2 SO in Game 2 which included a leadoff home run… in July, slashing .323 (20-62)/.377/.452/.829, 5 2B, 1 HR, 12 RBI, 5 R, 6 BB, 19 SO in 16 games… extended his hitting streak to 9 games and his on-base streak has reached 15 games… can become just the fourth Express player with a 10-game hitting streak this year (Cauley, 14 G; Kelenic, 11 G; Castillo, 11 G).

RHP JOSH STEPHAN (W, 5.0 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 4 SO, 72 pitches, 47 strikes) earned his sixth win of the season and is now one victory shy of his career-high (7 in 2024)… first win since June 26 at Tacoma… second time he has gone 5.0 innings or more without an earned run (Last, May 10 at DUR)… faced one over the minimum through the first 3.0 innings… fifth start he has not allowed a home run in his 18 starts this year… 7 groundball outs marks the fifth time this year he has recorded 7 or more groundball outs.

NEXT GAME: Sunday, July 26 at Albuquerque FIRST PITCH: 1:35 p.m. MT BALLPARK: Isotopes Park

For more information about the Express, visit RRExpress.com or call (512) 255-2255. Subscribe to the E-Train email newsletter and keep up with the Express on Facebook, Instagram and X!