Jul. 4—Albuquerque loves its sports.
And it loves to win.
But more than that, this town loves to party.
And there was no amount of rain, or a large number of runs scored by the visiting team, that was going to stop fans from enjoying the party going on at the northeast corner of Avenida Cesar Chavez and University Boulevard on Saturday night — in what was the largest gathering anywhere in the state of New Mexico since before the COVID-19 pandemic.
Despite a historic 16-0 loss by Albuquerque to the El Paso Chihuahuas that was eventually called off in the top of the sixth inning due to the skies opening up about 8:45 p.m. and dumping rain on Isotopes Park, much of the announced crowd of 10,482 stuck it out through the downpour dancing in the rain and enjoying the music that was part of the team’s wildly popular Mariachis Night promotion.
Their reward: The planned postgame fireworks show went on, in a light drizzle, around 9:40 p.m.
“For us, (the Mariachis Night games) are just something that brings the community together,” said Ray Gurule, a junior varsity baseball coach at West Mesa High School who was at Saturday’s game with his two sons and wife while wearing a Mariachis T-shirt and hat.
“This is important to us because it represents what a lot of us are about here in Albuquerque and here in New Mexico. … I think they nailed it (with the Mariachis theme).”
In 2018, as part of the nationwide Copa de la Diversión promotion that Minor League Baseball said was aimed at trying to “resonate most with participating teams’ local U.S. Hispanic/Latino communities,” the Isotopes created the alter ego: Los Mariachis de Nuevo Mexico.
More than three years later, it has quickly become as popular a promotion as any sports franchise or team in the state can lay claim to — both in terms of fan engagement at the stadium (the team does one Mariachis night at home per month) and merchandising sales.
“It’s been great,” Isotopes Vice President and General Manager John Traub said. “I mean, it’s resonated with the public probably in a way that we never fully anticipated. And we thought it was gonna be good. In fact, we thought it was gonna be great. But I don’t know if any of us anticipated that it was gonna be not only great, but sustained the way it has through the years.”
COVID-19 wiped out 2020’s season, but not so much the sales last year of Mariachis merchandise online. And while seating capacity restrictions so far this year have prevented the same levels of on-field dancing, singing and performances around the ballpark as in the past, that will change starting for the next Mariachis night on Aug. 1.
Traub said community organizations frequently reach out now to be a part of the Mariachi night games.
Saturday, there was a pregame lowrider display with numerous cars parked around the outside of the stadium.
“It’s been great for us, but I think it’s been that way because we listen to the fans about what they want and keep trying to make this something that they can identify with and appreciate,” Traub said.
Meanwhile, the Isotopes are expecting another big crowd Sunday evening for the fourth game of the series between the Isotopes and Chihuahuas.
THE NO-HITTER THAT WASN’T: El Paso pitcher Luke Westphal was signed by the San Diego Padres on Thursday, assigned to the Chihuahuas and made his Triple-A debut on Saturday at the age of 32.
And he did not allow a hit in five innings pitched (the game was called after the sixth inning started). MLB rules state it is not an official no-hitter, though is an official game.
While he had been pitching with independent league teams regularly, he hadn’t pitched in an affiliated Minor League Baseball game since 2016 at the Double-A level.
Saturday, he allowed no hits, walked none, struck out six in his five innings, and the only baserunner to reach for the Isotopes was Wynton Bernard on an error by third baseman Ivan Castillo in the fifth inning.
THE NO-HITTERS THAT WERE: Officially, the Isotopes have been no-hit twice in franchise history.
Five games into the franchise’s existence, on April 7, 2003, the Isotopes lost 4-0 on the road at Nashville in what was the second nine-inning perfect game in Pacific Coast League history. Sounds righty John Wasdin retired all 27 hitters he faced and struck out 15 at Herschel Greer Stadium.
On Mother’s Day in 2008, the Isotopes lost 5-1 at Colorado Springs without recording a hit, but did draw nine walks in the loss and catcher Paul Hoover was credited with the lone RBI.
ATTENDANCE: Saturday was the largest attendance at a sporting event in New Mexico since before the COVID-19 pandemic.
It was the sixth time this season at Isotopes Park that more than 7,000 fans in reported attendance showed up — three dates for the Isotopes and three for New Mexico United. Saturday was the first major crowd since the state re-opened completely without stadium capacity restrictions.
The top crowds this season at Isotopes Park:
—10,482 — Saturday — Isotopes (16-0 loss to El Paso)
—9,288 — June 12 — New Mexico United (0-0 draw vs. Austin Bold)
—8,801 — May 29 — New Mexico United (1-0 loss to Loudon United)
—8,776 — May 22 — Isotopes (7-6 win over Oklahoma City)
—8,647 — May 15 — New Mexico United (3-1 win over Austin Bold)
—7,171 — May 6 — Isotopes (9-4 loss to Sugar Land)
‘TOPES SUNDAY: Vs. El Paso
6:35 p.m., Isotopes Park, 610 AM/95.9 FM, abqisotopes.com
PROMOTION: Independence Day postgame fireworks
PROBABLES: Chihuahuas TBA vs. Isotopes RHP Dereck Rodriguez (1-2, 8.10)
SATURDAY: In a game that went only five innings and change before being called off because of rain at Isotopes Park, El Paso beat Albuquerque 16-0. Box Score: El Paso 16, Albuquerque 0
That was bad enough, but the Isotopes didn’t even get a hit off Luke Westphal.
The Chihuahuas got 16 hits off four Albuquerque pitchers, with Taylor Kohlwey and Matt Batten geting four apiece.
Jesus Tinoco had the roughest outing for Albuquerque’s pitchers, giving up 13 hits and nine runs (all earned) before leaving in the fourth inning.
Kohlwey also had a homer, as did Ben Ruta for El Paso, which had lost the first two games of this three-game Triple-A Weste series.
TRANSACTION: The parent Colorado Rockies on Saturday recalled RHP José Mujica and optioned RHP Antonio Santos to the Isotopes.