Marlinshome.com | Florida Marlins News, marlins Scores, Game Recaps & Commentary - <div>Never has an Isotopes Park crowd been so blue, yet so happy. The Albuquerque Isotopes ushered in the 2009 Pacific Coast League season - and a new era in the city's Baseball history - with a 14-8 victory Thursday night over visiting Omaha. </div>The bigger story, however, was the statement made by those who came to watch. The listed turnout of 10,141 welcomed the Los Angeles Dodgers' Triple-A team back to a city it occupied from 1972 to 2000. Scores of them came in anything Dodger - from the trademark home jerseys with the cursive script, to caps. From warmups to even the new Isotopes shirts and hats. All accented in the familiar blue, like brides might wear to a remarriage. Nick Ch?vez wore one of the iconic Dodger home jerseys and blue caps. He stood along with buddy Gilbert Contreras, wearing the blue 'Topes cap, in front of the line waiting two hours before game time to get into the park. Lines on both the third- and first-base sides grew so long and intertwined outside that the gates opened at 5:20, 10 minutes ahead of schedule. "My biggest thrill about this whole thing is you'll see a lot of the great Dodger players come up through here and go up," said Ch?vez, reflecting on the past practice of Dukes going on to be the building blocks of Los Angeles teams. Added Contreras, "With the Marlins , they'd pull a lot of their players up from Double-A. The Dodgers pull theirs up from Triple-A. And it'll be nice being so close to L.A. that we'll see some of them on rehab assignments. Not that we want them to get hurt." Wayne Luttrell of Santa Fe had arrived at 5 p.m. and stood with son Austin, 10, among the throng waiting to get in. His shirt of choice was one of the red white and blue auctioned jerseys from last year, signed and autographed by former Isotope pitcher Dallas Trahern. His was one of the few reminders of what the Florida Marlins left behind in six seasons here. "I think, judging from the crowd, it sure looks like everybody's glad to have the Dodgers back," said Luttrell, pointing to a woman wearing the No. 55 home jersey of L.A. catcher Russell Martin. "Dodgers gear, Dodgers everything. It's gonna be a new excitement, but a familiar excitement. There's (Valentino) Pascucci, who's back, and a few more who have been in the majors. We're geared up for it." Mr. Dodger himself, Hall of Fame manager Tommy Lasorda, beamed all night long. The 1972 Dukes skipper who has spent six decades in Baseball, began lobbying for this reunion in the summer of 2007, when he was wowed in his return to Albuquerque and Isotopes Park for the Triple-A All-Star game festivities. In a blue pinstripe shirt, and in his trademark hyperbolic style, Lasorda told the crowd in pregame that the Dodgers-Albuquerque ties made him "very, very happy. I only wish when I was managing that I could have had a stadium like this. This is the greatest stadium in minor league history." It also was the Isotopes and Triple-A managing debut for Tim Wallach. He admitted in pregame to feeling some "nervous excitement." "I slept, but I didn't sleep great (Wednesday night)," said Wallach. "It was a combination of being nervous, excited, a lot of different things." Wallach presided over a vintage Pacific Coast League game here, whether played by Dukes, Isotopes, Dodgers farmhands or Marlins farmhands. Albuquerque led 3-0 through three innings, then trailed 4-3 before breaking the game open with a seven-run fifth inning keyed by a two-run triple by Luis Maza. The Isotopes hit two homers and had 15 hits. The contest took three hours, 14 minutes to finish. Right-hander Miguel Pinango, who started last year's opener for Las Vegas, pitched five innings for the win. "It was fun," Wallach said later. "The best thing we did tonight was walk (only) one batter. As for the reception, he said, "You could tell they haven't forgotten about the Dodgers." Today Omaha at Albuquerque, 7:05 p.m. Radio: KNML-AM (610) Promotion: Magnet schedule giveaway Probable pitchers: Isotopes' TBA vs. Royals RHP Luke Hochevar Thursday: A seven-run fifth inning gave the Isotopes the lead for good in an eventual 14-8 victory over Omaha. Chin-Lung Hu and Dee Brown both had three of Albuquerque's 15 hits, and Jason Repko and Mitch Jones homered. RHP Miguel Pinango (1-0) allowed four runs, one earned in five innings for the win. This and that: Tonight originally was said to be Isotopes LHP Eric Stults' turn, which could mean a roster move is pending. ... Eldorado graduate and former UNM Lobo RHP Greg Atencio came on in relief for Omaha in the fifth inning. It didn't go well - four runs (three earned) on two hits in * innings. ... A moment of silence was held in memory of Angels rookie pitcher Nick Adenhart, who was killed in an automobile accident early Thursday.

Never has an Isotopes Park crowd been so blue, yet so happy. The Albuquerque Isotopes ushered in the 2009 Pacific Coast League season - and a new era in the city's Baseball history - with a 14-8 victory Thursday night over visiting Omaha.

The bigger story, however, was the statement made by those who came to watch. The listed turnout of 10,141 welcomed the Los Angeles Dodgers' Triple-A team back to a city it occupied from 1972 to 2000. Scores of them came in anything Dodger - from the trademark home jerseys with the cursive script, to caps. From warmups to even the new Isotopes shirts and hats. All accented in the familiar blue, like brides might wear to a remarriage.

Nick Ch?vez wore one of the iconic Dodger home jerseys and blue caps. He stood along with buddy Gilbert Contreras, wearing the blue 'Topes cap, in front of the line waiting two hours before game time to get into the park. Lines on both the third- and first-base sides grew so long and intertwined outside that the gates opened at 5:20, 10 minutes ahead of schedule.

"My biggest thrill about this whole thing is you'll see a lot of the great Dodger players come up through here and go up," said Ch?vez, reflecting on the past practice of Dukes going on to be the building blocks of Los Angeles teams.

Added Contreras, "With the Marlins , they'd pull a lot of their players up from Double-A. The Dodgers pull theirs up from Triple-A. And it'll be nice being so close to L.A. that we'll see some of them on rehab assignments. Not that we want them to get hurt."

Wayne Luttrell of Santa Fe had arrived at 5 p.m. and stood with son Austin, 10, among the throng waiting to get in. His shirt of choice was one of the red white and blue auctioned jerseys from last year, signed and autographed by former Isotope pitcher Dallas Trahern. His was one of the few reminders of what the Florida Marlins left behind in six seasons here.

"I think, judging from the crowd, it sure looks like everybody's glad to have the Dodgers back," said Luttrell, pointing to a woman wearing the No. 55 home jersey of L.A. catcher Russell Martin. "Dodgers gear, Dodgers everything. It's gonna be a new excitement, but a familiar excitement. There's (Valentino) Pascucci, who's back, and a few more who have been in the majors. We're geared up for it."

Mr. Dodger himself, Hall of Fame manager Tommy Lasorda, beamed all night long. The 1972 Dukes skipper who has spent six decades in Baseball, began lobbying for this reunion in the summer of 2007, when he was wowed in his return to Albuquerque and Isotopes Park for the Triple-A All-Star game festivities.

In a blue pinstripe shirt, and in his trademark hyperbolic style, Lasorda told the crowd in pregame that the Dodgers-Albuquerque ties made him "very, very happy. I only wish when I was managing that I could have had a stadium like this. This is the greatest stadium in minor league history."

It also was the Isotopes and Triple-A managing debut for Tim Wallach. He admitted in pregame to feeling some "nervous excitement."

"I slept, but I didn't sleep great (Wednesday night)," said Wallach. "It was a combination of being nervous, excited, a lot of different things."

Wallach presided over a vintage Pacific Coast League game here, whether played by Dukes, Isotopes, Dodgers farmhands or Marlins farmhands.

Albuquerque led 3-0 through three innings, then trailed 4-3 before breaking the game open with a seven-run fifth inning keyed by a two-run triple by Luis Maza. The Isotopes hit two homers and had 15 hits. The contest took three hours, 14 minutes to finish.

Right-hander Miguel Pinango, who started last year's opener for Las Vegas, pitched five innings for the win.

"It was fun," Wallach said later. "The best thing we did tonight was walk (only) one batter.

As for the reception, he said, "You could tell they haven't forgotten about the Dodgers."

Today

Omaha at Albuquerque, 7:05 p.m.

Radio: KNML-AM (610)

Promotion: Magnet schedule giveaway

Probable pitchers: Isotopes' TBA vs. Royals RHP Luke Hochevar

Thursday: A seven-run fifth inning gave the Isotopes the lead for good in an eventual 14-8 victory over Omaha. Chin-Lung Hu and Dee Brown both had three of Albuquerque's 15 hits, and Jason Repko and Mitch Jones homered. RHP Miguel Pinango (1-0) allowed four runs, one earned in five innings for the win.

This and that: Tonight originally was said to be Isotopes LHP Eric Stults' turn, which could mean a roster move is pending. ... Eldorado graduate and former UNM Lobo RHP Greg Atencio came on in relief for Omaha in the fifth inning. It didn't go well - four runs (three earned) on two hits in * innings. ... A moment of silence was held in memory of Angels rookie pitcher Nick Adenhart, who was killed in an automobile accident early Thursday.