PCL1 Albuquerque Isotopes

Sounds pound 'Topes, 11-5

Published on August 24, 2009 under Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Albuquerque Isotopes News Release


A deficiency in the pitching department combined with 11 runners stranded on the base spelled an 11-5 loss for the Albuquerque Isotopes (72-58) at the hands of the Nashville Sounds (67-63) Monday night at Isotopes Park. The defeat, combined with a win by Oklahoma City, drops the ‘Topes' lead to 6.5 in the PCL's American Southern Division, although Albuquerque's Magic Number remains at nine.

The Sounds used three innings to score three runs or more while Albuquerque's offense was suppressed after the fourth inning, scoring just one run beyond that point despite matching the Sounds' 14 hits.

Albuquerque struck first in the second on a J.D. Closser single that scored Jamie Hoffmann, who reached on a double, handing the Isotopes a fast 1-0 edge, but the Sounds stole it away with four runs in the top of the third.

Eric Stults, who retired the first six batters, allowed six of the first seven batters he faced in the third to reach. Stults loaded the bases with back-to-back infield hits before mishandling a sacrifice bunt in from his counterpart Chris Cody. Corey Patterson then ripped a double to right to plate two before J.J. Hardy sent a single past Blake DeWitt at second to push across two more as the Sounds went up 4-1.

The Isotopes managed to tie it up over the next two frames in what easily could have been bigger innings. Cody surrendered a lead-off double to Stults, who picked up a hit in each of his two at-bats, before hitting Chin-Lung Hu and Hector Luna to load the bases with one out. Mitch Jones drew a walk to make it 4-2, but two infield pop-ups quickly ended the potential for the ‘Topes to break open big.

The chance came and went again in the fourth with Albuquerque pulling away with two runs for a 4-4 deadlock yet leaving two aboard. Three straight singles from A.J. Ellis, Stults and Hu loaded the bags with one out again. A sacrifice fly from DeWitt and a single from Luna cashed in Ellis and Stults, but that was all the scoring the ‘Topes would manage in the inning.

Meanwhile, Nashville pulled away with three more off Stults in the fifth using an Adam Heether two-run single and a sacrifice fly from Johnny Raburn to capture a 7-4 advantage. Nashville used another three-run inning in the seventh off Henry Bonilla while a Corey Patterson solo home run in the eighth pushed the Sounds' lead to 11-4.

Meanwhile, Albuquerque collected six hits between the seventh and eighth innings, but gathered just one run, leaving the bags full in the seventh and a runner on third in the eighth.

Stults (5-3) yielded a season-high six earned runs over five innings, while Brent Leach was the only reliever of the three who followed Stults to not allow a run. Cody picked up the win to improve to 7-7 as the Sounds manufactured plenty of support after his departure in the fifth to go on for the victory. Albuquerque will try and snap their two-game skid tomorrow behind righty Giancarlo Alvarado (11-9, 3.68), who will battle Nashville right-hander Mike Jones (0-1, 13.50) at 6:35 PM MT.

Check out the Albuquerque Isotopes Statistics

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Pacific Coast League Stories from August 24, 2009


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