Late error hands Zephyrs 3-2 win
An eighth-inning error allowed the New Orleans Zephyrs to plate the go-ahead run, and the Z's held off the Albuquerque Isotopes 3-2 on Saturday night at Zephyr Field.
The Zephyrs won their 16th one-run game of the season, tops in the Pacific Coast League.
With the game tied 2-2 in the bottom of the eighth, Jordan Brown drew a one-out walk from Geison Aguasviva. Jake Smolinski then greeted Steven Ames with a bloop double to left, and the ball was misplayed by Tony Gwynn, Jr., allowing Brown to score all the way from first with the go-ahead tally.
Chris Hatcher walked Matt Angle on a nine-pitch at-bat to lead off the ninth inning, but after Dee Gordon moved Angle to second with a sacrifice bunt, Hatcher recovered to strike out Justin Sellers and Gwynn to end the game for his 19th save of the year in 20 opportunities this season.
The Isotopes started the game quickly, scoring a first-inning run after back-to-back singles by Gordon and Sellers to lead off. Alex Castellanos pushed Gordon across the plate with a ground out for a 1-0 Isotopes lead.
New Orleans was held quiet by Albuquerque starter Matt Palmer until the sixth inning, when Bryan Petersen hit a two-run homer the opposite way, his fourth home run of the season and third against Albuquerque, putting the Z's in front, 2-1.
The Isotopes capitalized on an error to tie the score with an unearned run in the seventh. Brian Barden led off with a double to chase Zephyrs starter Duane Below from the game. J.R. Towles laid down a sacrifice bunt, but a throwing error by Matt Downs put runners at the corners with no outs. After Jonathan Albaladejo struck out Angle, a fly ball by Sellers allowed Barden to score the tying run.
Albaladejo (2-2) was credited with his second win of the series, yielding one hit in two scoreless innings. Aguasviva (3-3) suffered the loss.
Below was charged with two runs - one earned - in six innings, while Palmer lasted five innings and struck out seven, surrending two runs and four hits.
The teams combined to go 1-for-20 with runners in scoring position, including 0-for-13 from the Isotopes.
New Orleans and Albuquerque conclude the series on Sunday at 2 p.m.