Three Stars: July 18 vs. Oklahoma City

The Isotopes’ recent troubles against the Oklahoma City RedHawks continued Monday night, as the visitors erased a 6-2 deficit late to defeat Albuquerque, 8-7, at Isotopes Park. The ‘Hawks put up a four-run seventh inning to tie the contest and then pulled ahead for good with two more in the eighth, making it 8-6.

With two gone in the bottom of the ninth, Trayvon Robinson blasted a solo home run to get the ‘Topes within 8-7, and Russ Mitchell continued the rally with a single. But ‘Hawks pitcher Mickey Storey struck out Corey Smith to end the game, giving Oklahoma City its fourth straight win against Albuquerque dating back to late June.

Here are the Three Stars of the game for your Isotopes:

1. Russ Mitchell, 3B (5-for-5, 2 RBI, one run scored)

Mitchell had a strong night at the dish with his ninth home run of the season (a two-run shot in the second inning) as the highlight. He also collected singles in the third and fifth, a double in the seventh, and another base hit in the ninth during the ‘Topes’ rally attempt.

2. Joe Newby, P (5 2/3 IP, 2 R (1 ER), 4 H, 2 BB, 4 K)

The Alaska native did all he could, posting a decent outing on the mound and getting good run support in return. Unfortunately for him, the game turned against the ‘Topes after his exit and he was left with the no-decision.

3. Trayvon Robinson, CF (2-for-4, RBI, BB, two runs scored)

Robinson bopped his 24th home run of the season as Albuquerque tried to come from behind in the ninth for a win. He now sits in a tie for third-most dingers in the Pacific Coast League with former Isotope and current Sacramento River Cat, Jai Miller.

For a full recap of tonight’s game, head over to AlbuquerqueBaseball.com!

July 14 Game Notes

July 14 Game Notes

Albuquerque Isotopes (47-43) at Nashville Sounds (41-49)   

Probable Pitchers- Game 1:
ALB- RHP Joe Newby (1-2, 4.15 ERA)
NVL- RHP Frankie De La Cruz (3-5, 4.33 ERA)

Probably Pitchers- Game 2:
ALB- RHP Tim Sexton (3-2, 4.77 ERA)
NVL- RHP Mike Fiers (1-0, 1.29 ERA)

Click here for 7-14-11_Notes

Three Stars: July 10 vs. Nashville

Caleb Gindl’s cycle and a five-run third inning helped the Nashville Sounds (41-49) earn a series split with the Albuquerque Isotopes (47-43), winning 9-5 on Sunday night at Isotopes Park.

The ‘Topes saw the Nashville lead eventually balloon to 9-1 before scoring two runs in the bottom of the eighth and then another two in the ninth to make it 9-5. But the home team couldn’t get any closer and head into the Triple-A All-Star break on a two-game mini-skid. After the break, they’ll start a four-game set Thursday night against the Sounds in Music City USA before kicking off an eight-game homestand at The Lab on Monday, July 18.

Here’s the Three Stars of the game for your Isotopes:

1. Ivan De Jesus, Jr., 2B (2-for-4, 2 RBI, BB, two runs scored)

De Jesus got the ‘Topes on the board in the fifth inning with his first home run of the year, a solo shot to left-center off a 2-2 pitch from the Sounds’ Josh Butler. He got his other RBI in the ninth, plating Dee Gordon with a base hit.

2. Dee Gordon, SS (3-for-5, one run scored)

Gordon collected hits in the third (single), seventh (single) and ninth (triple) innings to raise his batting average to a solid .332, a jump of eight percentage points from Saturday.

3. Corey Smith, 1B (2-for-3, BB, one run scored)

Smith started his night with a single in the second inning and got another one in the eighth. After that base knock, he would score on a single from Damaso Espino to cut Nashville’s lead to 9-3.

For a full recap of tonight’s game, be sure to visit AlbuquerqueBaseball.com. And remember to tune into MLB Network on Wednesday night at 7 p.m. MT to catch Isotopes outfielder Trayvon Robinson, pitcher Dana Eveland and manager Lorenzo Bundy suit up for the Pacific Coast League All-Stars in the 2011 Triple-A All-Star Game from Salt Lake City, Utah. You can also listen to the game on the radio home of your Isotopes, KNML-AM “610 The Sports Animal.”

Three Stars: July 9 vs. Nashville

A great pitcher’s duel wound up going the Sounds’ way, as they bested the Isotopes, 3-1, Saturday night at Isotopes Park. Albuquerque starting pitcher Tim Sexton (3-2) allowed just two runs on four hits over seven innings, but his Nashville counterpart, Mike Fiers (1-0), managed to hold the ‘Topes’ offense to a lone run on four hits over his five innings. From there, the Nashville bullpen was able to keep the ‘Topes scoreless.

The Sounds snapped a three-game skid while ending Albuquerque’s four-game win streak. The two teams will end their four-game set with a 6:05 p.m. MT contest tomorrow at the Lab.

Here are the Three Stars of the game for your Isotopes:

1. Dee Gordon, SS (2-for-5, one run scored)

Gordon continued his solid return to Albuquerque with a 2-for-5 night that featured him scoring the Isotopes’ only run of the night on a fifth-inning groundout by Jay Gibbons. Over his last five contests, Gordon has hit at a .416 clip (10-for-24).

2. Ivan DeJesus, Jr., 2B (2-for-5)

Back in the starting lineup, DeJesus contributed a one-out base hit in the fifth inning that moved Gordon into position to score on Gibbons’ groundout. He collected another single in the seventh, but advanced to second on a Nashville fielding error.

3. Tim Sexton, P (7 IP, 2 R, 2 ER, 4 H, 1 BB, 7 K)

Before giving up the go-ahead, two-run homer from the Sounds’ Brett Carroll in the sixth inning, Sexton was rolling along, blanking Nashville while allowing just a pair of hits. He also induced 10 groundouts from Sounds hitters.

For a full recap of tonight’s game, head over to AlbuquerqueBaseball.com!