PCL baseball: Andino's late blast saves Isotopes
8/17/2008
Good luck.
Even though they are looking up at the rest of their division, the Albuquerque Isotopes refuse to surrender.
The latest example came Sunday at Isotopes Park, when Robert Andino lined a three-run, walk-off home run to lift the Isotopes to a 4-2 victory, end a three-game skid and bring the lone highlight of a series with Memphis so far.
Prior to Andino jumping into a scrum of Isotopes at home plate, the Redbirds defeated the hosts 8-7 in 12 innings Saturday and pinned a 12-6 loss Sunday in the first half of a doubleheader.
"These guys are not going to give up until it's over," Dean Treanor, Albuquerque manager, said.
There are 15 games left in the 2008 Pacific Coast League season. The Isotopes started the day 111/2 in back of Oklahoma.
They slipped a little farther after the Redbirds scored eight unanswered runs in three innings in the resumption of a game that originally started June 20 in Memphis.
In the series finale, the Isotopes led 6-1 after three innings when the game suspended because of rain. The resumption was set for June 20.
The wait was worth it. At least, from the Redbirds point of view.
Memphis scored five runs in the fourth inning, added three more in the fifth and the sixth. Then, the Redbirds found themselves three outs from a sweep.
Brendan Ryan and David Freese gave the Redbirds a 2-1 edge with solo home runs. But with one out in the seventh, Brett Hays singled to center and Chase Lambin singled to right, sending Hays to third.
Andino followed with his fourth home run of the season, sending Jason Motte's a 2-2 pitch over the right-field fence.