Isotopes slug six homers, outlast Aviators 13-11 in Vegas
Six homers, 24 runs and a stolen home: Albuquerque turned Las Vegas Ballpark into a launch pad and kept the Aviators at arm's length, 13-11.
Albuquerque turned Las Vegas Ballpark into a launch pad and left with a 13-11 win built on season highs in both power and chaos. The Isotopes hit six home runs, scored 24 combined runs with the Aviators, and put 12 runs on the board in the first five innings, including five in the fifth, before TJ Shook finished the last 1.2 scoreless innings for his sixth save.
The fifth inning was where the game tilted from slugfest to full-blown scramble. Jose Cordova stole home after a catcher pick-off at second base, a rare jolt that gave Albuquerque its 17th all-time steal of home and its first ever against Las Vegas. By then, the Isotopes were already stacking damage against Joey Estes, who was charged with 11 runs in just 4.1 innings.
The biggest bats kept arriving one after another. Cole Carrigg led the way with three hits, including a homer and a double, and continued a stretch in which he had reached base in 27 of his last 28 games. Carrigg has been one of the league’s more dynamic drivers all season, with a .358 average, 67 hits, five homers and 26 stolen bases. Charlie Condon snapped his homer drought with his fifth of the year, another checkpoint for the Rockies’ No. 2 prospect and No. 3 overall pick in the 2024 MLB Draft, who arrived in Triple-A carrying the sort of amateur résumé that included the Dick Howser Trophy, SEC Player of the Year and the Golden Spikes Award at Georgia.
Albuquerque’s other power came from the middle of the order, where Vimael Machin kept his surge going and Andrew Knizner delivered a two-homer, three-RBI night. Nic Kent added a season-high three hits and his fourth homer, giving the Isotopes multiple threats instead of one isolated burst. Machin entered the game hitting .340 with seven homers, 30 RBI and a 1.017 OPS, while Knizner brought veteran MLB experience and three homers on the season into the night.
The result mattered beyond one wild box score. Albuquerque won for the third time in its last four games after a five-game skid, guaranteed at least a split in Las Vegas, and stayed alive for its first series victory in Sin City since July 13-16, 2017. The 13 runs were Albuquerque’s highest output since a 19-run game earlier in May, and this one made the point plainly: when the Isotopes’ power shows up all at once, the scoreboard can get ridiculous in a hurry.
This article was produced by Prism’s automated news system from verified source data, official records, and press releases, then run through automated quality and moderation checks before publishing. The system is built and supervised by the people who set the standards it runs under. Read our full AI policy.
Did this article answer your question?
