Bananas split, Isotopes' two-week homestand starts with dollar hot dogs and ends with Cinco de Mayo party
Apr. 22—With all the banana peels now cleaned up at Isotopes Park from the weekend visit by the Savanah Bananas, the regular tenants of that ballpark at the corner of Avenida Cesar Chavez and University in southeast Albuquerque are back home with plenty of fan promotions and giveaways of their own on tap for a season-long 12-game homestand.
Coming off a series split (3-3) on the road with the El Paso Chihuahuas, the Albuquerque Isotopes host the the team with the most boring name in minor league baseball, the Oklahoma City Baseball Club.
The team formerly known as the Dodgers, but seriously going by "Baseball Club" this season, will have some star power on hand, including two-time MLB All-Star right-handed pitcher Walker Buehler scheduled to make a rehab start in at Rio Grande Credit Union Field on Wednesday night.
Buehler, a former first-round draft pick of the Dodgers, had Tommy John surgery in July and is making his fifth rehab start in his comeback.
As for the Isotopes, outfielder Sam Hilliard is two home runs away from tying Jordan Patterson's franchise record of 66 home runs and prospect catcher Hunter Goodman on Sunday became the 13th Isotope to homer in four consecutive games, looking to extend that streak on Tuesday.
Here's a look at some of the off-the-field promotions for fans over the next two weeks and 12 games for the Isotopes:
—TUESDAY: Dollar hotdog night
—WEDNESDAY: LA Dodgers' starting pitcher Walker Buehler making a rehab appearance for Oklahoma City (game time is 6:05 p.m., not the usual 6:35 p.m.)
—THURSDAY: Lunch at the lab with one of the team's rare non weekend day games. Game time is 11:05 a.m.
—FRIDAY AND SATURDAY: Little League night (pregame little league parades of teams around the park) and post-game firework shows.
—SUNDAY: Bark in the Park Day, where dogs are invited to bring their people to the game and an inflatable bat giveaway to the first 2,000 fans.
—May 2: School-day matinee game with thousands of school kids from around the state in attendance for the game that starts at 11:05 a.m.
—May 3: Asian American Pacific Islander Night and Educator Appreciation Night
—May 4: Little League Night and postgame firework show
—May 5: Cinco de Mayo celebration with the team playing as the Mariachis de Nuevo Mexico and an adult Mariachis jersey giveaway for the first 3,000 fans 16 & older, including a pregame Al Hurricane Jr. concert in the stadium and a postgame fireworks show with a fitting (for the date and the location), 5:05 p.m. start time.
