Express Edged in Series Finale at Albuquerque
May 2, 2010 - Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Round Rock Express News Release
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. - Luis Ayala induced a game-ending ground out from Drew Meyer with the potential tying run at third base as the Albuquerque Isotopes edged the Round Rock Express 5-4 in Sunday's series finale at Isotopes Park. The Express (7-16) suffered their eighth one-run loss of the season, while the Isotopes (13-9) clinched the series three games to one with the victory.
Drew Locke tripled to right field with two outs and the bases empty in the top of the ninth, but Meyer grounded out to shortstop Chin-Iung Hu to end the game and foil Round Rock's bid for its first back-to-back wins of the season.
Albuquerque starter Josh Towers (2-2) earned the victory; he allowed three runs, two earned, on five hits and no walks with four strikeouts over 7.0 innings. Travis Schlichting surrendered a solo home run to Oswaldo Navarro in the eighth, and Ayala worked the ninth for his fourth save of the season.
Round Rock Starter Andy Van Hekken (1-2) was saddled with the loss, allowing five runs on 11 hits and a walk with three strikeouts over 6.0 innings. Yorman Bazardo allowed only a walk in 2.0 scoreless innings of relief.
Russ Mitchell gave the Isotope's the game's first lead with an RBI double in the bottom of the second. The Express answered in the top of the third on Brian Bogusevic's two-out RBI single. Albuquerque recaptured the lead in the bottom of the inning on Michael Restovich's two-out, two-run single.
The Express used a pair of solo homers over the next two innings to tie the game. Chris Shelton's came with one out in the fourth; it was his third of the year and his second in as many games. Brian Bogusevic tied the game with a two-out solo homer in the fifth.
However, Albuquerque took the lead for good in the sixth on Jamie Hoffmann's two-out, two-run single. Navarro's solo homer in the eighth pulled the Express back to within a run, but that was as close as Round Rock would get.
Bogusevic was 2-for-4 with two RBI and a run scored, while Navarro was 2-for-4 with a run and an RBI. No other Express player had more than one hit. Jason Castro was 0-for-4; he failed to reach safely for the first time since the season's first game, snapping a 16-game streak.
Hoffmann, Restovich, Hu and Preston Redman all had two-hit games for the Isotopes, who out-hit the Express 11-7.
Round Rock returns home Monday, opening a four-game series against the Nashville Sounds. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. CDT at The Dell Diamond. Southpaw Wesley Wright (1-0, 2.79 ERA) is scheduled to start for the Express, while right-hander Marco Estrada (1-0, 2.74 ERA) gets the nod for the Sounds.
Pacific Coast League Stories from May 2, 2010
- RedHawks Rally Denied by New Orleans - Oklahoma City Comets
- Z's Hold Off Oklahoma City Rally - New Orleans Baby Cakes
- Rainiers Drop Series Finale with Reno - Tacoma Rainiers
- 'Topes Edge Express, 5-4 - Albuquerque Isotopes
- Buckner Lifts Aces Past Tacoma, 3-1 - Reno Aces
- Bees Win Back-and-Forth Affair with 15-Hit Attack - Portland Beavers
- Express Edged in Series Finale at Albuquerque - Round Rock Express
- Iowa Cubs Fall to Omaha Royals 4-5 - Iowa Cubs
- Eight-Game Homestand Highlighted by Bark in the Park, Military Appreciation Night, Mother's Day Fest - Portland Beavers
- Sandberg Leads Iowa Cubs - New Orleans Baby Cakes
- Oklahoma City RedHawks Game Notes - Oklahoma City Comets
- Carlos Rosa Traded by Kansas City to Diamondbacks - Omaha Storm Chasers
- Sounds, Redbirds Rained Out Again Sunday - Nashville Sounds
- Rainiers Cruise to Win Over Reno - Tacoma Rainiers
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