sa国际传媒官网网页入口

Gabriel Hughes posted a 5.11 ERA in 14 games and 61.2 innings pitched last season for the sa国际传媒官网网页入口 Isotopes.

For those well-versed in the monstrous numbers that can be associated with Isotopes starters, especially ones eating up huge chunks of innings in the thin air of sa国际传媒官网网页入口, those numbers aren't bad. Maybe not great, but they aren't bad, either.

Things can get out of hand in a hurry in Isotopes Park 鈥� called "the moon" by some Colorado Rockies pitchers who have made their way through the hitter-friendly Triple-A ball park.

Hughes, the former first-round draft pick of the Rockies (No. 10 overall in the 2022 draft out of Gonzaga), is on the big league club's 40-man roster and has every expectation of starting games in Denver this season.

He鈥檚 off to a stellar start, and that鈥檚 no surprise to Isotopes manager Pedro Lopez, who talked about Hughes two weeks ago.

鈥淚 know what Gabe is all about,鈥� Lopez said. 鈥淚鈥檓 interested 鈥� last year, I saw (Hughes) for the first time in spring training and I like what I saw. Really good mix of pitches.鈥�

Against the Reno Aces last week, Hughes pitched twice, striking out 14 hitters over 10.1 innings and posting a 2.61 ERA.

Trivia Time!

QUESTION: What is the most consecutive games the Isotopes have gone without hitting a home run in the launchpad that is Isotopes Park?

ANSWER: See below ...

Know the foe

The Isotopes play a six-game Pacific Coast League series on the road against the El Paso Chihuahuas, Tuesday through Sunday.

• sa国际传媒官网网页入口 Isotopes, Triple-A affiliate of the Colorado Rockies, 3-6 overall, t-8th place PCL

• El Paso Chihuahuas, Triple-A affiliate of the San Diego Padres, 5-4 overall, t-3rd place PCL

Stealing the show

CF/SS Cole Carrigg鈥檚 straight steal of home in Saturday鈥檚 5-4 Isotopes win over Reno was just the third such occurrence in franchise history. 

Carrigg also had a straight steal of home last year in Hartford. 

Isotopes play-by-play announcer Josh Suchon said during the broadcast that a left-handed pitcher makes it easier for the 鈥渇earless鈥� Carrigg to try to steal home because the pitcher鈥檚 back is toward the runner. 

There have been 16 steals of home for the Isotopes, but just three 鈥� Carrigg on Saturday, Eric Reed in 2007 and Zac Veen in 2024 鈥� have been 鈥渟traight鈥� steals, meaning nothing else occurring, such as a double steal attempt.

Three up, three down

Looking good:

1. In last week鈥檚 six-game series vs. Reno, sa国际传媒官网网页入口 starting pitchers had a 1.99 ERA, allowing just five earned runs in 22.2 innings pitched with 25 strikeouts and six walks.

2. Including that straight steal of home on Saturday, Carrigg leads the PCL in stolen bases with six.

3. SS Ryan Ritter, who opened the season with the Colorado Rockies, joined the Isotopes for the final two games of last week鈥檚 series. He was 1-for-3 in each game, extending his Triple-A hitting streak to 23 games, dating to last season. It is the fourth-longest hit streak in Isotopes history.

Look away:

1. In last week鈥檚 six-game series vs. Reno, sa国际传媒官网网页入口 relief pitchers had a 5.74 ERA, allowing 20 earned runs in 31.1 innings pitched with 26 strikeouts and 25 walks.

2. The Isotopes have thrown a Triple-A high 1,497 pitches, more than all 20 International League teams and all 10 in the PCL. That's 258 more pitches over nine games than Reno, which has the lowest nine-game total of those 30 teams.

3. OF Veen is 2-of-18 (.111) at the plate in five games with sa国际传媒官网网页入口. 1B Blaine Crim is 3-of-17 (.176).

Fast food

Is there a new chile pepper race dynasty beginning to form? Some of us don't want to Taco-bout it.

In the opening series of mascot races at Rio Grande Credit Union Field, defending season champion Salsa Jar won three of the six races last week with Taco, the undisputed crowd favorite (no need to check into that, I assure you it's true), going winless thus far.

A formal investigation is underway. Or should be.

2026 season standings:

• 3 wins 鈥� Salsa Jar

• 2 wins 鈥� Red Chile

• 1 wins 鈥� Green Chile

• 0 wins 鈥� Taco

What about the other guys?

Minor league baseball has a rich history of game promotions, even when fans might not even know the name of that day鈥檚 starting pitcher or star first baseman.

The Isotopes do it was well as anyone, but we鈥檙e going to take a peek at some of the fun promos the "other guys" are doing this season when the Isotopes are in town. (Normally they won鈥檛 be this in-depth, but since this is the first home series of the season for El Paso, there鈥檚 a lot if interesting ones):

• Tuesday: The home opener includes rally towels given on the way in, magnet schedules given on the way out.

• Wednesday: All teams have day games, and El Paso is combining it with a 鈥淢ature Munchies鈥� promo with fans over 60 getting a free hot dog and fans over 50 getting $1 popcorn.

• Friday: 鈥淪outhern Rocker鈥� hat giveaway of something that鈥檚 a mix between a traditional baseball cap and a cowboy hat.

• Saturday: The Isotopes鈥� Copa de la Diversion alter ego the Mariachis de Nuevo Mexico have been a home run in sa国际传媒官网网页入口 and aren鈥檛 going away. Apparently, not all teams had the same success. El Paso鈥檚 Copa swing and a miss alter ego of the El Paso Margaritas has had its last call. In steps the El Paso Matachines, 鈥渁 tribute to one of the most recognizable and meaningful cultural traditions of the Paso del Norte region.鈥�

Trivia answer

Six.

Before C Andrew Kizener's eighth-inning homer on Sunday, the Isotopes had gone six consecutive games (dating back to last season's finale, also against Reno) without a home run, tying a team record (there was also a six-game homerless streak at home from June 11-26, 2006).

The recent drought including 284 plate appearances between homers in the ballpark.

Reach Geoff Grammer at ggrammer@abqjournal.com or follow him on Twitter (X) .