Isotopes Find Winning Tune Against Sounds

NASHVILLE -- Dee Gordon singled home the go-ahead run in the seventh inning and Alex Castellanos added a home run in the eighth inning, lifting the Albuquerque Isotopes to a 4-2 victory over the Nashville Sounds on Monday night at Herschel Greer Stadium.

The Isotopes (58-46) snapped their three-game losing streak and are now 7-2 this year against the Sounds.

Starting pitcher Jonathan Sanchez (3-1) allowed two runs (one earned) in six innings. Sanchez struck out 10, including four batters in the second inning.

Nashville scored a run in that second inning as Blake Lalli singled, went to second on a walk, and to third base on a passed ball. Sanchez struck out Hunter Morris of the first out and Kentrail Davis for the second out. Sanchez struck out Blake Davis, but the pitch was in the dirt, rolled to the backstop, Lalli scored and Davis reached first base safely. Sanchez then struck out pitcher R.J. Seidel for his fourth strikeout of the inning.

Kelvin De La Cruz pitched two scoreless innings of relief. Javy Guerra converted his sixth save in as many tries to complete the victory.

The Isotopes first run came in the third inning when Damaso Espino singled, went to second a Sanchez sacrifice bunt, and scored on Elian Herrera's single to right field.

In the sixth, Castellanos was hit by a pitch and stole second base. Two batters later, Justin Sellers hit a line drive off the glove of third baseman Robinzon Diaz, who then got in the way of Castellanos as he was rounding third base. The umpires ruled it obstruction on Diaz and Castellanos was safe at home. Diaz was given two errors on the play, one for not catching the ball, and the second for the obstruction.

The go-ahead rally in the seventh began with Espino singled for the third time. Sanchez laid down his third sacrifice to move him to second base, and Gordon sliced a single into the left-center gap for a 4-3 lead. Castellanos' mammoth home run in the eighth inning, his second in as many nights and16th of the season, provided a cushion.

One night after setting a season-high with 15 strikeouts, the Isotopes pitching staff struck out 13 more. It was the second straight night the Nashville pitching staff fanned 11 hitters.

Game three of the four-game series is Wednesday. Matt Magill starts for the Isotopes. Former Isotope Aaron Laffey, who utilized the opt-out clause of his contract on July 2nd and signed with the Brewers, will make his third start for the Sounds. First pitch is at 6:05 pm Mountain Time and all the action can be heard on 610 "The Sports Animal" with Josh Suchon on the call.