Gamel Belts Two Homers In Sounds' 11-8 Series-Opening Win
Published on July 24, 2010 under Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Nashville Sounds News Release
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. - Third baseman Mat Gamel belted a pair of homers and drove in four runs to lead the Nashville Sounds to an 11-8 victory in a slugfest against Albuquerque on Friday evening at Isotopes Park in the opener of a four-game series.
The win was the second in a row against the Isotopes for Nashville (53-46). The Sounds went an efficient 7-for-9 with runners in scoring position in the contest.
Gamel paced a 14-hit Sounds attack with his 4-for-5 evening that including four RBIs, four runs scored, and his sixth and seventh roundtrippers of the season.
Left-hander Sam Narron (6-3) picked up a victory in his fifth straight start for Nashville, the longest win streak by a Sounds hurler this season. The 6-foot-7 southpaw allowed eight runs (seven earned) on 11 hits over 5 2/3 frames in the hitter-friendly environment.
The teams exchanged two-run frames in the first inning before the Sounds erupted for a six-run rally in the top of the fourth to take an 8-2 lead.
Luis Cruz led off the Nashville fourth with a single and moved to third on Ray Olmedo's double to center off Albuquerque starter Jesus Castillo. Catcher Ben Johnson followed with a go-ahead RBI single and Narron added a sacrifice fly. Later in the frame, Norris Hopper lined a run-scoring single to center to give the Sounds a 5-2 lead and chase Castillo from the contest.
Gamel greeted Isotopes reliever Jesus Rodriguez by belting his sixth home run of the season, a three-run shot to left that made it an 8-2 contest.
After Ivan DeJesus Jr. plated a run for the Isotopes with a two-out single off Narron in the fifth, the Sounds' Brendan Katin matched with a two-out RBI knock of his own in the top of the sixth to extend the Nashville lead to 9-3.
Albuquerque chased Narron from the contest with a five-run rally in the home half of the sixth that pulled the Isotopes within a run at 9-8. Catcher A.J. Ellis plated two of the runs with a triple in the frame.
The Sounds answered with a run of their own in the top of the seventh when Olmedo and Johnson ripped back-to-back doubles off Isotopes reliever Ramon Troncoso to increase their cushion to 10-8.
Gamel struck again in the eighth, swatting a one-out solo homer to left off Jon Link, to make it an 11-8 contest.
In his third rehab appearance for the Sounds, reliever LaTroy Hawkins closed out the contest with a pair of scoreless innings to earn his first save of the year, marking back-to-back appearances for the veteran.
He retired the side in order in the bottom of the eighth on three consecutive groundouts, tossing just five pitches in the frame. In the ninth, the right-hander allowed a one-out single to Russ Mitchell (4-for-5) before inducing a game-ending double play grounder from John Lindsey.
In his three PCL outings, Hawkins has allowed two singles in 4 1/3 scoreless frames.
Castillo (1-4) absorbed the defeat for Albuquerque after surrendering seven runs on eight hits in just 3 1/3 innings.
The teams continue the series with another 8:05 p.m. CT contest on Saturday. Right-hander Josh Butler will make his first Triple-A appearance of the year when he starts for the Sounds. Albuquerque will counter with right-hander Seth Etherton (3-2, 4.55).
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