Ray, River Cats close Isotopes, 5-1

July 20, 2024 – Pacific Coast League (PCL)
Press Release Albuquerque Isotopes

Sacramento, CA – Left-handed pitcher Robbie Ray, the 2021 American League Cy Young Award winner, made a rehab start for Sacramento on Friday, throwing 5.1 scoreless innings with one hit and seven strikeouts as the River Cats earned a 5-1 victory over Albuquerque at Sutter Health Park.

Topes Scope: – Kris Bryant began a rehab assignment, batting second and playing right field. He was 0-for-3 with two strikeouts and recorded one defensive putout. Tonight was Bryant’s 13th game with Albuquerque over the last three seasons, spanning five rehab assignments.

– The Isotopes were held to two or fewer runs for the 10th time in their last 13 games at Sutter Health Park since Aug. 29, 2023. They have failed to score more than two runs in any of their six losses in Sacramento this season.

– Tonight marked only the second of the three-game series the Isotopes will play in 2024. El Paso defeated Albuquerque 6-5 in Duke City on March 29 to open the campaign, going on to win two of the three games.

– For the ninth time this season, Albuquerque was limited to five or fewer hits in a nine-inning game (last time: June 29 vs. Salt Lake, five).

– Blake Sabol’s home run was the only extra-base hit of the game for Sacramento, marking the 12th time Albuquerque has limited its opponent to one. The Isotopes have yet to stop a team from hitting an extra-base hit in a game this season.

– The Isotopes have allowed their opponent to score first in six consecutive games, one point shy of their worst record of the season, which came twice (April 6-13: at Oklahoma City, against Sugar Land; May 3-10: against Round Rock, at El Paso).

– Ray’s outing marked the seventh time an opposing pitcher has completed at least 5.0 frames without allowing a run against Albuquerque in 2024 (last: Tommy Romero, June 9 at Sacramento: 6.2 scoreless). Additionally, it was the second straight game that an opposing starter has gone into the sixth inning while allowing two or fewer hits (Blas Castano, two in 5.1 IP, July 14 vs. Tacoma).

– Ray became the third former Cy Young Award winner to face the Isotopes. Zack Greinke (Nashville: April 29, 2011) and Clayton Kershaw (Oklahoma City: September 7, 2021) also made rehab starts against Albuquerque.

– Noah Davis became the first pitcher in Isotopes history to both start on Opening Day and work in the first game after the All-Star break. Davis suffered the loss in both instances, allowing five runs in 1.2 frames against the Chihuahuas on March 29, then a trio of tallies in 2.0 innings against Sacramento tonight.

– Trevor Boone hit a pinch-hit home run, the 28th in Isotopes history (last: September 9, 2022 against El Paso). It was the first ever against the River Cats.

– Greg Jones was 2-for-4, his fourth multi-hit game in the last seven games after breaking a 2-for-29 drought.

– Willie MacIver extended his hitting streak to 11 games with a six-inning double. During the stretch, he is hitting .500/.523/1.025 with seven doubles, a triple, four homers and 13 RBI. MacIver has raised his season average from .289 to .333 in the scheme.

– Jimmy Herron saw his 12-game hitting streak end, which was the longest in the Pacific Coast League prior to Friday’s game. Herron compiled a .426/.463/.723 slash line with three doubles, a triple, three homers and 20 RBI during the stretch.

– Julio Carreras was 0-for-4, ending his own eight-game hitting streak. Carreras was 13-for-33 with four doubles during the period that began July 5.

– Grant Lavigne struck out three batters in a game for the eighth time in 2024 (last time: July 7 at El Paso). Lavigne is 2-for-29 with 13 strikeouts in his last nine games.

– Jones doubled to lead off the game but was thrown out trying to stretch it into a triple. The same fate befell Lavigne, who was the Isotopes’ final batter before the break, to end the eighth inning Sunday at home against Tacoma. On Deck: The Isotopes and River Cats meet again at Sutter Health Park on Saturday at 7:37 p.m. MT (6:37 p.m. PT). Southpaw Juan Hillman is scheduled to toe the rubber for Albuquerque, while Sacramento remains undecided.

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