Isotopes Beat Space Cowboys, 8-5, For Third-Straight Win

Sugar Land, TX – Riley Smith tossed his second quality start, allowing just three over the minimum to reach, while the offense bashed three homers and plated four runs in the seventh inning to put the game out of reach to secure an 8-5 victory Saturday night at Constellation Field.

Offensively, the Isotopes registered 10 hits, two doubles and three homers. *Carlos Pérez, Coco Montes and L.J. Hatch *each homered. Elehuris Montero went 3-for-5 with two RBI and a double. Hatch recorded two hits and scored two runs.

Smith tossed 6.0 innings and allowed two runs on three hits and one homer with six punchouts. Zach Lee recorded his second save in as many chances.

The Isotopes plated the game’s first run in the second inning after Wynton Bernard doubled and came around to score on D.J. Peterson’s RBI single. Albuquerque added to its lead, 2-0, in the fourth when Hatch smoked a solo home run.

Smith had a perfect game through three innings but the Space Cowboys ended the bid and tied the game in the fourth on a two-run blast from Pedro Leon.

The tie game didn’t last long as Pérez gave the lead right back to the Isotopes in the fifth with two outs on a solo clout.

Albuquerque plated four runs in the seventh inning. Montero swatted a two-run double and Bernard hit a sac fly while the fourth run came home on a wild pitch, giving the Isotopes a 7-2 lead. Montes added one more to the tally in the eighth with a leadoff solo shot.

J.J. Matejevic connected on a three-run blast in the ninth but it wasn’t enough to overcome the deficit.

Topes Scope: - The Isotopes won their third game in-a-row for the first time since May 1-5. It is just the team’s third time winning at least three-straight. They also tied a season-high with three-straight road victories.

-Albuquerque plated four runs in the seventh inning, the eighth time they’ve scored four in an inning this year.

-Smith tossed the Isotopes sixth quality start and second in three games. It is his second with the team. The right-hander faced just three over the minimum.

-Smith was perfect through three innings prior to giving up a leadoff single in the fourth. He has allowed at least one home run four of his five starts.

-Montero blooped a single in the first to extend his personal-best hit-streak to nine games. During the stretch, he is hitting .425 (17x40) with two doubles, three homers and 11 RBI. He also has an 11-game on-base streak, tallied his 16th multi-hit effort (tying a team-best) and fifth three-hit game and has hits in 13 of his last 15 games.

-Sean Bouchard extended his on-base streak to 16 with a hit in the seventh inning.

-Peterson registered an RBI in back-to-back games for the first time this year, tallying five combined.

-Hatch tallied his second homer of the year, his first since April 28 vs. Sacramento (37 at-bats). He also reached base twice, giving him a .438 on-base percentage (25-of-57) and recorded his sixth multi-hit effort.

-Pérezextended his team-leading on-base streak to 19 games with a walk in the third inning. During the streak, he is hitting .258 (17x66) with four homers, nine walks and 14 RBI. Has two homers in his last three games.

-Ryan Vilade extended his on-base streak to 17 with a walk in the seventh inning.

-The Isotopes did not issue a walk until the eighth inning with one out.

-Lee is 2-for-2 in save chances this year.

On Deck: The series finale is set for 5:05 pm MT at Constellation Field. The Isotopes have yet to announce a starter while JP France is slated to start for the Space Cowboys.