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Topes Bats Come to Life in 13-8 Victory Over Bees

May 20, 2022

Salt Lake City, UT – Mired in an offensive slump, the Albuquerque Isotopes made sure to get their bats on track early in Thursday night’s contest. The Topes entered the contest with just seven runs scored and 22 hits over their last four contests, but they pounced on the Bees

Salt Lake City, UT – Mired in an offensive slump, the Albuquerque Isotopes made sure to get their bats on track early in Thursday night’s contest. The Topes entered the contest with just seven runs scored and 22 hits over their last four contests, but they pounced on the Bees pitching staff for 13 hits and 17 runs as they earned a 13-8 victory at Smith’s Ballpark.

Every Isotopes batter recorded at least one base hit, with Elehuris Montero heading the charge by going 4-for-6, and Scott Schebler chipping in a 3-for-5 evening.

Albuquerque (17-22) set the tone in the first inning when Dom Nuñez, Montero and Schebler hit three consecutive one-out singles, with Schebler’s knock plating Nuñez for the game’s initial tally. One batter later, Coco Montes hustled to beat out a potential double-play grounder, allowing Montero to cross for a 2-0 Isotopes lead.

Salt Lake (21-18) immediately tied it in the home half when Topes starter Brandon Gold issued a leadoff walk to Michael Stefanic before Dillon Thomas singled. Brendon Davis followed with a two-run double to knot it at two apiece.

The Isotopes had a quick answer in the second whenRyan Vilade led off with a double and scored on a two-out single by Tim Lopes to vault the visitors back in front. In the third, Montero singled, Schebler walked, then Montes chased both home with a double to left field for a 5-2 advantage.

Davis struck again for the Bees in the home third with an RBI triple, his second extra-base hit of the ballgame. However, Montero continued his monster night with a two-run homer to left in the fourth off reliever Kodi Medeiros, making it 7-3 in favor of Albuquerque.

The hosts cut into the deficit with three hits off J.D. Hammer in the sixth, the last being a two-run triple by catcher Colby Fitch with two outs to pull the Bees within 7-5. The trouble did not stop there, as Nate Griep then took over and walked Michael Stefanic before committing a throwing error on a pickoff attempt, cutting the lead to just one run.

In the visiting seventh, Schebler triped with one out before Montes was plunked with a pitch. After Zack Weiss took over on the mound, Wynton Bernardgreeted him with an RBI single before D.J. Petersondelivered a clutch two-out, two-run double to put Albuquerque in front 10-6.

The Isotopes kept their offense rolling in the eighth as Bernard drove in a run on a fielder’s choice, then Vilade singled in Schebler to make it 12-6.

LJ Hatch scored Albuquerque’s final run on a wild pitch in the ninth, while Salt Lake launched a solo homer in each of their final two at-bats; Monte Harrison in the eighth and David MacKinnon in the ninth, both off Nick Kennedy.

Gold (2-0) earned his second consecutive victory by pitching five innings of five-hit, three-run ball with three walks and four strikeouts as part of an 81-pitch outing.

Topes Scope: - The Isotopes reached double-digits in the run column for the 10th time this season and third on the road.

- 13 runs scored were the most for Albuquerque in a road game since a 14-12 triumph in the second game of a doubleheader at Salt Lake on April 27, 2019.

- 17 hits by the Topes marked their second most in a contest in 2022. Their season-high in knocks is 21 vs. Sacramento on May 1.

- Albuquerque scored in the first inning for the 19th time out of 39 contests. They have plated multiple runs in the first 10 times.

- On the other hand, the Isotopes pitching staff surrendered first-inning tallies for the 17th time, and 13th time in their last 18 contests.

- Montero’s four-hit game was his second at the Triple-A level, also having done so last Sept. 24 vs. Reno. It tied his career-high, marking the ninth time he recorded four knocks in a contest as a professional. Montero has gone deep four times in his last nine games.

- Schebler had three hits for the second time this season and in the last four games, as he also did so May 15 vs. Sugar Land.

- Vilade had a pair of knocks, notching his eighth multi-hit game of the season.

- Montes became the fourth Isotope to be hit by two pitches in a contest this year (Carlos Pérez, 4/12 vs. TAC; Schebler and Brian Serven both on 5/1 vs. SAC).

- Gold’s 9.2 scoreless innings streak came to an end, spanning the final four frames of his start at Oklahoma City on May 7 and 5.2 shutout frames vs. Sugar Land on May 13.

- Gold walked at least three batters in an outing for only the ninth time in his professional career (120 appearances, 99 starts).

- The two homers allowed by Kennedy were the 70th and 71st for the Isotopes pitching staff this season, the most in Minor League Baseball.

- The Isotopes matched their combined hit total from the first two games of the series (10) when Bernardsingled in the fifth.

- Salt Lake’s three-run sixth means Albuquerque is now being outscored 54-23 in the sixth inning this season.

- Albuquerque committed two errors, snapping their season-best three game streak without a miscue.

On Deck: The Topes will try to make it two consecutive victories over the Bees tomorrow when right-handed pitcher Ryan Feltner (4-1, 4.08) takes the ball at 6:35 p.m. against Salt Lake lefty Jhonathan Diaz (2-0, 1.96).