PCL1 Albuquerque Isotopes

Isotopes Long Balls Sink Redbirds, 5-3

Published on June 6, 2010 under Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Albuquerque Isotopes News Release


The Albuquerque Isotopes (30-25) played long ball in a 5-3 victory over the Memphis Redbirds (30-26), crushing three home runs to account for all their offense on a blistering hot Sunday afternoon at Isotopes Park. While Xavier Paul launched two shots, Jamie Hoffmann's two-run homer in the eighth inning broke a 3-3 tie to put the ‘Topes ahead.

After George Sherrill started the game as part of his Major League rehab assignment, fanning two in a scoreless first, Paul launched his first home run of the day, a solo shot to lead off the first inning and put the ‘Topes ahead 1-0.

Seth Etherton, the ‘Topes' original scheduled starter, took over in the second inning, allowing three quick runs that gave the Redbirds a 3-1 edge. The three runs in the second, which broke Etherton's streak of 14 straight scoreless innings, would be it for the ‘Birds, however, as Etherton blanked Memphis over his next five frames.

Paul knotted it up with a two-run homer in the third, his seventh of the season, another opposite field dinger. After Etherton singled to open the frame, Paul unloaded to create the 3-3 deadlock.

From there, Etherton and Redbird starter Lance Lynn (4-4) engaged in a four-inning pitcher's duel. While Etherton would leave the bases loaded in the fourth, Lynn sat down 11 of the next 12 he faced before Hoffmann hit the go-ahead blast with one out in the eighth.

Travis Schlichting (3-0), who notched his first Major League victory with four shutout innings for the Dodgers on June 2, picked up the win, taking over for Etherton in the top of the eighth. Etherton, after the rough second, finished with six strikeouts over six innings, allowing just the three runs, in his third straight solid outing. After allowing a leadoff double, Schlichting mowed down the next three batters for a scoreless frame.

In the ‘Topes' half of the frame, Jay Gibbons reached on an infield single to first to set up Hoffmann's late-inning homer that made it 5-3. The three Isotopes home runs nearly matched Lynn's season totals of homers allowed as the right-hander had only surrendered four long balls in 62.2 innings all season.

Scott Dohmann (5) worked a 1-2-3 ninth inning to pick up his fourth save in his past five chances and secure the victory and extend Albuquerque's season-high-tying winning streak to four games.

Albuquerque will go for its season-high fifth straight win on Monday behind lefty Brent Leach (3-1, 5.08), who will take the ball for the ‘Topes against Memphis right-hander Oneli Perez (1-1, 4.17) in a 7:05 PM MT start from Isotopes Park.

The Isotopes continue their action-packed homestand Monday with their second and final 50-Cent Hot Dog Night of the season before the homestand wraps up with Business Person's Special on Tuesday. Tickets for any Isotopes game may be purchased at the Isotopes Park Box Office, at Ticketmaster outlets, by phone at 1-800-745-3000, or on-line at www.albuquerquebaseball.com or www.ticketmaster.com.

Check out the Albuquerque Isotopes Statistics

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Pacific Coast League Stories from June 6, 2010


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