Round Rock Sails Past Albuquerque for 9-4 Win

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – The Round Rock Express (64-56) took down the Albuquerque Isotopes (54-65) on Thursday night at Isotopes Park by a final score of 9-4. The Express win, coupled with an Oklahoma City Dodgers loss, puts the E-Train only 4.0 games back of first place.

Round Rock reliever LHP John King (2-1, 7.98) earned the win after a 1.2-inning performance which included four runs, but only two earned runs, with five hits and one strikeout. Albuquerque LHP Ty Blach (0-4, 6.61) was tagged with the loss after he tossed 2.0 innings while allowing three runs and one earned run on three hits and one strikeout.

Along the Train Tracks:

• 1B Yohel Pozo pushed across the first run of the night for Round Rock in the second inning. His 424-foot home run to start the frame gave the E-Train a 1-0 lead.
• The Express added another solo home run in the fourth inning. C Sam Huff blasted a 446-foot home run to center field. His 18th home run of the season extended the lead to 2-0.
• The Isotopes found their answer in the sixth inning. 2B Coco Montes delivered a single with one out and RF Ryan Vilade reached on a fielder’s choice. A two-out double from 1B D.J. Peterson scored both runners and leveled the score at two apiece.
• Round Rock untied the game in the seventh inning. After Huff and LF Nick Solak singled, SS Davis Wendzel doubled to score Huff and give the E-Train a 3-2 advantage. With one out, 2B Ryan Dorow reached on an error from Albuquerque SS Alan Trejo and both runs scored to increase the lead to 5-2.
• Albuquerque weathered the storm and added two runs in the home-half of the seventh. Trejo singled with one out before a two-run bomb to left field from DH Michael Toglia trimmed the Round Rock lead to 5-4.
• The Express answered again in the eighth inning. CF Elier Hernandez was hit by a pitch to open the frame. Pozo and Huff singled with one out to load the bases before Huff knocked in two runs with a double. Round Rock led 7-4.
• The E-Train offense added one more in the ninth inning. Dorow and 3B Josh Smith singled before Hernandez added a third consecutive single to bring the lead to 8-4. DH Josh Jung singled to add another run and the advantage increased to 9-4. RHP Tyler Duffey came in and threw a scoreless ninth inning to secure the win for Round Rock.

E-Train Excerpts:

• C Sam Huff powered the Express offense thanks to a 3-for-5 game with a home run, RBI and two runs scored. CF Elier Hernandez, 1B Yohel Pozo and LF Nick Solak added two hits apiece. Solak had the lone multi-RBI game with two.
• The E-Train bullpen put together another phenomenal performance. After RHP Kyle Cody did not allow a run over 3.0 innings to start the game, RHP Ryder Ryan tossed 2.0 innings with two hits and one strikeout while not allowing a run. LHP John King allowed four runs but only two were earned. RHP Chase Lee earned his sixth hold of the year after a 1.1-inning performance that included only one hit and two strikeouts. RHP Tyler Duffey pitched a scoreless ninth inning with one hit, two walks and a strikeout.

Next up: Game four of the six-game set is slated for an 8:05 p.m. CT first pitch on Friday night at Isotopes Park. Isotopes RHP Karl Kauffmann (3-1, 5.57) is scheduled to start against Express RHP Tyson Miller (2-6, 4.89).

Single game tickets are available for purchase or bring your group to Dell Diamond. For more information on the Express, visit RRExpress.com or call (512) 255-2255. Subscribe to the E-Train email newsletter and keep up with the Express on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter!