Offensive Battle Ends In 12-9 Albuquerque Win

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – The Round Rock Express (28-18) fell to the Albuquerque Isotopes (20-26) on Friday night at Isotopes Park by a final score of 12-9. The Isotopes win ties the six-game series at two games apiece.

Albuquerque reliever RHP JD Hammer (1-0, 5.19) collected the win. He tossed 0.2 innings and did not allow a run or a hit while facing two batters. Round Rock RHP Demarcus Evans (1-2, 10.80) earned the loss after 0.2 innings and three earned runs on one hit. He issued two walks and struck out two.

Isotopes RHP Jake Bird collected his second save of the season with 1.0-inning of scoreless baseball. He had two strikeouts.

Along the Train Tracks:

• Round Rock took a commanding 4-0 lead after the top of the second. DH Nick Solak delivered a run on an RBI single in the first inning. In the second, 1B Elier Hernandez scored from third base on a balk. Round Rock added two more in the inning on the first home run of the night for CF Bubba Thompson.
• A three-run bottom of the second trimmed the E-Train lead to 4-3. The Isotopes did their damage with two outs thanks to two singles and two triples.
• RF Ryan Vilade singled to score another run in the fourth inning and tie the game at four. In the fifth, LF Scott Schebler tacked on another run with an RBI ground out and Albuquerque led 5-4.
• Two runs in the sixth and seventh innings for the Isotopes advanced their lead to 7-4, but C Yohel Pozo singled to score CF Bubba Thompson in the seventh for the Express. Hernandez was issued a bases loaded walk to cut the lead at 7-6.
• SS LJ Hatch and C Dom Nunez each drove in a run in the seventh for Albuquerque. Hatch tripled to score one and it was Nunez bringing home Hatch on a single. The Isotopes led 9-6.
• Thompson and 3B Josh Smith came to the rescue in the eighth inning with back-to-back bombs. A two-run blast for Thompson followed by a solo home run for Smith tied the game at nine.
• The Albuquerque attack proved to be too much. CF Wynton Bernard hit a two-run blast in the eighth inning. 1B Elhuris Montero singled to score one more as the Isotopes took advantage of the three walks issued in the inning. The Express went down in order in the ninth inning and fell 12-9.

E-Train Excerpts:

• CF Bubba Thompson went 4-for-5 with two home runs and four RBI. Friday was the third multi-homer game in his career. The last came with Double-A Frisco on May 6, 2021.
• 3B Josh Smith hit his first home run since April 24 against Albuquerque at Dell Diamond. Smith has now hit four home runs this year.

Next up: Round Rock will play game five of the series on Saturday night against Albuquerque from Isotopes Park. Express RHP A.J. Alexy (1-1, 6.48) is slated to take the mound against Isotopes RHP Zach Neal (4-3, 6.63). First pitch is scheduled for 7:35 p.m. CT.

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