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Five Homers Power Sounds To 8-4 Win In Road Trip Opener

Halton Goes Yard Twice For Third Time In Career
June 23, 2012
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. - The Nashville Sounds belted five home runs to beat the Albuquerque Isoptpes, 8-4, on Saturday night in the opener of a four-game series at Isotopes Park.

The five home runs set a season high for Nashville (31-45) and was one long ball shy of a franchise record. The Sounds have hit homers in a season-high seven consecutive games.

The victory was Nashville's (31-45) fifth in the last seven contests overall and first to begin a road trip this season (1-6).

First baseman Sean Halton hit a pair of home runs as part of a 3-for-5 evening for the Sounds. The two-homer effort by Halton was the third multiple-homer game of his four-year career and second two-homer effort by a Sound this season after outfielder Logan Schafer went yard twice last night against Oklahoma City.

Second baseman Eric Farris also had three hits and a run scored while outfielder Corey Patterson recorded his second multi-hit game in a row.

Nashville starter Mark Rogers (3-4) picked up the victory, allowing four runs on five hits with three strikeouts in 6 2/3 innings. Reliever Donovan Hand ended the contest with 2 1/3 scoreless frames to extend his scoreless streak to 13 1/3 innings in the month of June.

Albuquerque took an early 2-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning on a bases loaded, two-run single by Matt Angle.

After Patterson lined a double to right field, Rogers helped his own cause by crushing a two-run homer to left. The long ball was the first of Rogers' professional career and first by a Sounds pitcher since Sam Narron went yard on August 23, 2010 at Iowa.

Nashville took a 3-2 lead in the top of the fourth inning thanks to an inning-opening walk by third baseman Andy Gonzalez, who moved to second based on the ensuing base hit by Sean Halton. Gonzalez would score two batters later on a Farris RBI base hit down the left field line.

Gonzalez extended the Nashville lead to 4-2 on the first pitch of the sixth inning from Albuquerque starter Michael Antonini. The big fly was Gonzalez's seventh of the season, which have all come in the month of June.

Five pitches later, Halton went yard over the left field wall for back-to-back jacks, removing Antonini from the contest. It was the third time in 2012 that the Sounds have hit back-to-back homers and second occurance by the due of Gonzalez and Halton (June 4 vs. New Orleans).

Three batters later after Farris singled, Patterson lined the third homer of the inning over the right field wall for a 7-2 advantage. The home run was Patterson's fourth of the season.

Halton's second homer of the game was to the deepest part of the park to straightaway center, extending the lead to 8-2.

The Isotopes trimmed the lead to 8-4 in the bottom of the seventh thanks to a two-out, two run rally that spoiled the quality start for Rogers. Angle got things started with a two-out single and was followed by a pinch hit base hit by Brian Cavazos-Galvez that removed Rogers from the game. Former Sound Trent Oeltjen then cranked a two-run triple off the left field wall.

Antonini (1-6) was charged five runs on seven hits and three homers in five innings for the loss.

The Sounds and Isotopes continue their series at 7:05 pm CT on Sunday evening at Isotopes Park. Right-hander Brian Baker (1-3, 6.39) will start for Nashville against Albuquerque right-hander Fernando Nieve (3-5, 7.05).