The Albuquerque Isotopes were down to Plan C on the mound Tuesday night.
Scheduled starter Charlie Haeger was scratched with a sore hip and replacement starter Claudio Vargas never took the mound due to a sore back.
Down to third option Jesus Castillo, who was starting on just three days rest, the Isotopes had to cross their fingers and hope.
The Iowa Cubs' big bats destroyed that hope in a 14-12 win over Albuquerque in front of 9,771 fans at Isotopes Park.
The Isotopes fell two games behind Oklahoma City (54-47), which rallied to defeat Round Rock, 5-3.
Albuquerque manager Tim Wallach said Castillo (1-5) gave all he had on short rest.
“Yeah, I tried getting him through one more (inning)," Wallach said. "It was tough after (Monday), we’d used so much bullpen. He hung in there pretty good."
Iowa blew open a close game in the fifth inning. The I-Cubs lead, 4-3, entering the frame when pitcher Jay Jackson lead off with a single.
After Sam Fuld walked, the Isotopes brought in Ramon Troncoso to replace the exhausted Castillo. Troncoso promptly walked Darwin Barney and gave up a two-run double to Brad Snyder to make it 6-3.
Troncoso retired the next two batters before walking Bryan LaHair to load the bases.
Welington Castillo took advantage, hammering Troncoso's second pitch beyond the bullpens in left field for a grand slam and a 10-3 lead for Iowa.
Jesus Castillo lasted four-plus innings for the Isotopes, allowing six runs on five hits and three walks while striking out two.
Albuquerque didn't go down without a fight. Russ Mitchell crushed a three-run homer and Jay Gibbons followed with a solo shot in the bottom of the fifth to cut the I-Cubs' lead to 10-7.
Iowa responded with two runs in the sixth on Snyder's sacrifice fly and Micah Hoffpauir's RBI double.
Albuquerque made it 12-8 on Mitchell's sacrifice fly in the bottom of the frame before Iowa added another run in the seventh.
The I-Cubs called upon big-league right-hander Carlos Zambrano in the seventh. The veteran starter, technically on a rehab assignment after being suspended for a dugout tantrum last month with the Chicago Cubs, didn't have the easiest inning.
With one out, Jamie Hoffmann singled, A.J. Ellis was hit by a pitch and pinch hitter Michael Restovich singled to load the bases.
Zambrano then walked Elian Herrera on a full count to force in a run. The big right-hander was clearly unhappy with home plate umpire Jeff Latter, but he held it together and struck out Trent Oeltjen for the second out.
Ivan De Jesus Jr., whose father is a coach for the Chicago Cubs, then made Zambrano pay with a two-run single to right field, bringing the Isotopes to within 13-11.
Zambrano got out of the inning thanks to a great throw from shortstop Darwin Barney, who fielded Russ Mitchell's grounder at the edge of the infield dirt.
“They took good at-bats," Wallach said of his players against Zambrano. "Obviously everybody knows who’s out there. That’s a good test for us.
"You want them to rise to the challenge and they did there."
Hoffpauir hit a solo homer with two outs in the eighth to extend Iowa's lead back to three runs.
The Isotopes loaded the bases with two outs in the bottom of the eighth, but Herrera flew out to left to end the threat.
Oeltjen lead off the ninth with a double and later scored on Gibbons' fielder's choice grounder. John Lindsey then grounded out to first base for the final out.
“We need to put some zeroes up when we get close and we just haven’t been able to do that lately," Wallach said. “(But) they keep battling. It’s all you can ask."
Albuquerque and Iowa will meet again on Wednesday at 7:05 p.m.
Notes
- The Isotopes' starter for Wednesday has not been determined. Left-hander J.R. Mathes (8-6, 5.03 ERA) will start for the I-Cubs.
- The Dodgers signed veteran infielder Juan Castro to a minor-league contract on Tuesday. Castro hit .198 for the Phillies earlier this season before being released. He played in three games for the Isotopes last season before being promoted to Los Angeles. Castro also played for the Dukes from 1995 to 1997 and again in 1999. The 38-year-old is reportedly going to join the Isotopes, but no official roster move has been made as of Tuesday.
- Lindsey hit two triples on Tuesday. Prior to this season, Lindsey hadn't hit more than one triple in a year since 2005. Lindsey had six triples for independent New Jersey of the Canadian-American League five years ago, but no more than one in a season until this year.
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