In an offensive outburst that resembled playing MLB The Show on Rookie Mode, the Rockies’ Triple-A affiliate, the Albuquerque Isotopes, racked up 27 hits and plated 21 runs, scoring in all nine innings in its 21-10 victory over El Paso on Wednesday afternoon at Southwest University Park.
The last time an MLB team achieved that feat -- scoring in every frame in which the club had an at-bat (min. eight innings) -- was Sept. 12, 2016, when the White Sox beat the then-Cleveland Indians, 11-4. The contest featured three homers, including an eighth-inning roundtripper by Todd Frazier, which capped off the night and made Chicago just the 20th team since 1900 to complete the run-scoring triumph at the big league level, per the Elias Sports Bureau.
Back in 2016, the White Sox steadily plated runs, never eclipsing two in a single frame. Albuquerque’s approach was a bit more electrifying.
First inning: Seven runs
The Isotopes came out of the gates swinging against southpaw Wes Benjamin. Adael Amador started the party with a double to center field and was driven in by a single from Sam Hilliard. With Hilliard on first and one out, designated hitter Blaine Crim launched his 21st big fly of the year, making it 3-0 Albuquerque.
Next to the dish was Keston Hiura, and he wasted no time restarting the action. The 2017 No. 9 overall pick laced a 104 mph double down the line, setting up Aaron Schunk -- who notched the first five-hit game of his career in the contest -- for the second two-run wallop of the frame -- 5-0 Albuquerque.
The final pair of runs in the inning came courtesy of Rockies No. 12 prospect Zac Veen. Digging in with runners on second and third, the 2020 first-rounder sizzled a grounder through the right side of the infield, plating two -- 7-0 Albuquerque.
Second inning: Three runs
With one out and Hilliard on first base via a walk, Hiura delivered his second extra-base hit of the game -- a 107.3 mph, 465-foot moonshot off left-hander Jake Higginbotham -- 9-0 Albuquerque.
The next run was manufactured by a pair of consecutive doubles. First, Rockies No. 16 prospect Sterlin Thompson skied his 27th two-bagger of the season to left field, then Schunk followed suit with a line drive down the left-field line -- 10-0 Albuquerque.
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Innings 3-7: Four runs combined
The highlight from this stretch came in the sixth inning when Hilliard launched a fastball from right-hander Raul Brito 426 feet off the batters’ eye. The laser was his 16th homer of the year. Entering the eighth inning -- 15-8 Albuquerque.
Eighth inning: Four runs
The Isotopes strung together four hits and two walks off right-hander Manuel Castro in the frame with Hiura, Thompson and catcher Ronaiker Palma collecting RBIs. Hiura’s double marked his third extra-base knock of the game -- 19-8 Albuquerque.
Ninth inning: Two runs
Rounding out the offensive onslaught was Albuquerque’s fifth long ball of the day. With catcher Cody Roberts on the mound, Hilliard turned on an 87.3 mph offering and sent it out for his second homer of the game -- 21-8 Albuquerque.
In addition to hanging crooked numbers in all nine frames, the Isotopes also became the 21st full-season MiLB team to score 20 runs in a game this year. Hilliard, Hiura, Schunk and Palma each finished with four-plus knocks en route to a MiLB season-high 27 hits in the contest.