Chihuahuas 16, Albuquerque Isotopes 15
Key Stats: 2B Matthew Batten 3-for-6, HR (1); 1B Brett Sullivan 3-for-6, Grand Slam HR (1); Óscar Mercado 2-for-4, 3B, HR (1), BB, SF; RF Calvin Mitchell 4-for-5, 3B; SS Mason McCoy 2-for-4, HR (1), 2 BB; LHP Ryan Carpenter 4.2 IP, 7 H, 4 ER, 3 K, 1 BB; RHP Lake Bachar 1.1 IP, 2 K; RHP Sean Reynolds 0.2 IP, 3 H, 3 ER, 3 BB; RHP Alek Jacob 0.2 IP, 4 H, 6 R (0 ER), BB
Brett Sullivan looks to build on a strong 2023 campaign as he returns to El Paso this year.. (Photo: Jorge Salgado)
Prospect Watch: El Paso went to the ninth inning trailing 9-8, then put up an eight-spot capped by a Brett Sullivan grand slam. In some settings, a seven-run lead in the ninth inning would have to be considered safe. But this was a Pacific Coast League game, so it wasn’t until 15 minutes later. The lead was down to one before the Chihuahuas finally closed out the win to claim a 2-1 series victory to open the season. … Sullivan, who made his big league debut last season, had three hits on the day and finished the series 8-for-15 with a walk and just one strikeout. Sunday, the 30-year-old, who was behind the plate for the first two games of the series, made his first appearance at first base since he was in the now-defunct Appalachian League just after he was drafted in 2015. The left-handed hitter will likely also see time at third base and in the outfield corners to maximize his versatility in case the Padres decide to carry a third catcher on the big league roster. … Outfielder Cal Mitchell, who signed as a minor league free agent early in the winter to come back to his hometown organization, had four hits, including his first homer of the year, in his second consecutive multi-hit game. The 2017 second-round pick out of Rancho Bernardo High School put up monster numbers in the Triple-A International League as a member of the Pirates organization in 2022 but managed only a .635 OPS in three different big league stints that year. After speaking out about riding the minor league shuttle that year, he had a rough 2023, including a two-month stint on the Indianapolis, IL, with an undisclosed injury. Just 25 years old, Mitchell could provide important big league depth if he can get back to his 2022 form.
Lefty Ryan Carpenter made his first appearance in affiliated ball since he was released by the Tigers organization in 2019. Now 33, the Gonzaga product pitched in Taiwan in 2020, Korea in 2021 and 2022, and was out of baseball last year. Carpenter went 4.2 innings, giving up four runs on seven hits, including a pair of homers. Carpenter, who saw big league service time in 2019 and 2019, showed both a slider and curve in a four-pitch mix in his organizational debut. … Lake Bachar relieved Carpenter and had the best outing of any pitcher on either roster Sunday, tossing 1.1 scoreless innings with a pair of strikeouts. Originally a fifth-round pick in 2016, Bachar reached minor league free agency after last season but opted to resign with the organization after a strong 2023 campaign in Double-A San Antonio. Sunday, the 28-year-old from the Chicago area topped out at 98 mph and didn’t allow a ball in play at more than 90 mph off the bat. … Righty Alek Jacob came on after the Chihuahuas’ big ninth inning and quickly retired the first two batters he faced. After allowing a single, Jacob induced a pop-up down the first baseline, but Matt Batten couldn’t secure it for the final out. Albuquerque then got to the sidewinding righty for a pair of doubles, a walk, and a 103 mph three-run blast to pull the Isotopes within one run. The 25-year-old, who entered the year with a career WHIP barely over 1.00, has allowed six hits and a walk through his first two outings. An elbow injury cut his big league debut short after only three appearances last July. Still, Jacob will get every opportunity to work his way back to the Padres bullpen this summer.
