HOW IT HAPPENED:
After trading scoreless first frames, the Express struck first courtesy of four consecutive hits from the bottom half of the lineup. RF Trevor Hauver doubled and later scored on 1B Santiago Espinal’s double. C Cooper Johnson followed by lacing an RBI double into left-center field, and driving in Espinal. SS Keyber Rodriguez capped off the inning by going after the first pitch he saw to drive in Johnson from second. Round Rock led 3-0 after two innings.
The Isotopes responded with a trio of runs in the bottom of the third. 3B Chad Stevens tripled to start the inning and DH Conner Capel followed with a single to put runners on the corners with no outs. Stevens scored on a sacrifice fly from C Bryant Betancourt. SS Ryan Ritter drove in Capel with an RBI single and eventually came around to score on a single by RF Charlie Condon. The score was even at three after the first three innings.
Round Rock regained a one-run lead in the top of the fifth after CF Jarred Kelenic belted an opposite-field home run.
Albuquerque took their first lead of the game in the bottom of the seventh after Betancourt drove in two runs with a double. Albuquerque held a 5-4 advantage heading into the final two frames.
The Isotopes put the game out of reach with four runs in the eighth. Albuquerque loaded the bases after two singles and a walk. A sacrifice fly from Capel drove in a run. RHP Michel Otañez recorded a wild pitch to bring home another run and advance the runners up one base. Two more runs came around to score after Otañez committed a throwing error. The score stood at 9-4 as the E-Train fell in the series opener.
E-TRAIN EXCERPTS:
WHERE WE STAND: With the loss, Round Rock moves to 9-9 in series openers on the season… first series opener loss of the second half… have not lost a series opener since 6/9 vs ELP… haven’t fallen in a series opener on the road since 5/19 at ELP… just the 12th loss this season when the Express out-hit their opponents… second straight series opener loss at Isotopes Park (also 9/2/25)… 3-2 in last 5 and 4-6 in the last 10.
RHP WINSTON SANTOS: (ND, 5.0 IP, 5 H, 3 R-ER, 4 SO, 1 BB, 55 pitches, 35 strikes) appeared in his 3rd game for the Express and made his first start on Tuesday night… all outings have been on the road…retired the side in the 1st and 2nd inning before allowing a leadoff triple in the 3rd…generated three strikeouts with his fastball and one with his slider… allowed just two hits over 100.0 mph…fastball topped out at 97.8 mph appeared out of the bullpen in the series opener and finale in the RNO series (7/7-12)… tossed 6.0 innings, allowing 7 R and 8 H while striking out 7.
OF TREVOR HAUVER: extended his on-base streak to 11 G with his double in the 2nd… the longest active streak among Express batters… is slashing .318/.362/.409 with 4 doubles, 7 RBI and 3 walks during that span… also recorded his 21st multi-hit game of the season.
C COOPER JOHNSON: his 101.2 mph RBI single in the 2nd was his 14th hit that reached 100.0+ mph… 10 of those 14 H have come away from Dell Diamond… Johnson also ranks 2nd amongst PCL catchers this month with 6 BB.
OF JARRED KELENIC: launched his 5th homer of the season in the 5th to regain the Round Rock lead and 8th multi-hit game since joining the Express… his 3rd homer of the season on the road… all three round-trippers on the road recorded an exit velocity of 100.0+ mph… the two home runs at Dell Diamond were under 100.0 mph… batting .393/.485/.714 with 13 RBI and 9 BB in away games this season… Kelenic’s 1.199 OPS ranks 3rd among PCL hitters in away games (min. 50 AB).
RHP CHRIS MARTIN: (1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 SO, 10 pitches, 9 strikes) made his first rehab appearance since being placed on the 15-day injured list (right shoulder impingement) on 7/12… generated a 50 % whiff rate and lone strikeout with his curveball (2/4)… only ball of the night came on the only 4-seam fastball he threw… appeared with the E-Train in 3 G earlier this season (5/12-16) where he tossed 2.2 innings and allowed 5 runs.
NOTES: OF Jarred Kelenic’s home run in the fifth inning snapped a 5-game homerless streak (since 7/11 at RNO)… despite having the 2nd fewest HR in the PCL (89), the Express previous longest drought was a 4-game stretch at DUR (5-5/8).
NEXT GAME: Wednesday, July 22 at Albuquerque FIRST PITCH: 7:35 p.m. CT 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!