Albuquerque Isotopes: Elehuris Montero hits well in first series

The Colorado Rockies beat the Los Angeles Dodgers in two of the three games in the first series of the year. However, their Triple-A teams (the Albuquerque Isotopes and the Oklahoma City Dodgers) faced each other to start the season and it was the exact opposite. The Dodgers defeated the Isotopes in five of the six games of the series, as it was an awful start to the season for the ‘Topes.

The Albuquerque Isotopes struggled in the first series of the year

In the first three games of the series, the pitching staff held up for the Albuquerque Isotopes. Despite losing two of the three games, the Isotopes allowed an average of 3.7 runs per game. In the final three games, the Isotopes allowed an average of 10.7 runs per game, which is why they lost all three games.

Ryan Feltner was the only starting pitcher that pitched for some length and saw some good results. He made two starts (the Opening Day start and the start on Sunday) and he had a 3.60 ERA. He pitched a total of 10 innings while allowing 12 hits, five runs (four earned), two walks, and nine strikeouts.

No other Isotopes starter gave them more than 3 2/3 innings and only one (Matt Dennis) had an ERA below 5.00 (4.91, to be exact).

The team’s relievers also struggled mightily. JD Hammer, Nate Griep, Logan Cozart, and Julian Fernández all made at least two appearances and had an ERA of 13.50 or higher.

Offensively, the team was a bit better but still not great. They averaged four runs per game in the six games.

Elehuris Montero (who is Colorado’s #4 prospect, per MLB Pipeline, and the top prospect in Albuquerque) played in all six games and he .273 with an OPS of .998 in the series with two homers, three RBI, a double, and four walks.

Former Cincinnati Reds outfielder Scott Schebler (who was a non-roster invitee in Spring Training for the Rockies) only hit .182 with a .576 OPS in the series but he still hit a homer and drove in 6 runs in the series. That included a three-run triple in Sunday’s 12-6 loss.

The Isotopes have an off day today but they will have their home opener against the Tacoma Rainiers (the Seattle Mariners’ Triple-A team) in the first of a six-game series on Tuesday at 6:35 MDT.