MLN Newswire - www.mlntherawfeed.com -J.D. Closser hammered a grand slam and drove in five RBI as the Albuquerque Isotopes (47-44) toppled the New Orleans Zephyrs (41-49) in a lopsided 12-3 affair Friday night at Isotopes Park.

The win not only puts the Isotopes at 6-0 over the Zephyrs at home this season, but hands them their 11^th win in their last 13 played at home.

Eric Stults (2-1) maintained the solid pitching performances Isotopes starters have been providing, scattering eight hits over six innings with three runs and five strikeouts. Although a comfortable lead was intact, Hyang-Nam Choi and Henry Bonilla denied the Zephyrs any further runs facing the minimum over the final three innings.

With the Z’s holding a 2-1 advantage, Closser crushed a first pitch offering in the bottom of the fifth that towered over the right-center wall. Albuquerque would send 12 batters to the plate in the seventh to plate seven more runs on a night that would see each position player reach base at least twice. Closser’s salami was set up by a Luis Maza single before Dee Brown reached on a fielder’s choice and Mitch Jones walked to load up the bags and chase New Orleans starter Hayden Penn. Closser greeted reliever Tim Wood with a first offering grand slam that sent the ‘Topes to a 5-2 lead.
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After the Z’s claimed a run back in the top of the sixth to come within 5-3, Albuquerque delivered seven runs on six hits. Maza opened the inning with a triple to center before nine of the next 11 ‘Topes batters reached base. After Jones was intentionally walked, Closser collected his fifth RBI, lacing a single to left to plate Maza before a walk to Jason Repko set up another bases-loaded scenario for the ‘Topes. Chin-Lung Hu roped a single to push across Jones and make it 7-3 before the ‘Topes upped the advantage to 9-3 when an A.J. Ellis single scored Closser and a throwing error by Gookie Dawkins allowed Repko to dash home. After Tony Abreu slashed a two-run single to make it 11-3, Maza, whose triple started the inning, singled in the final run for the 12-3 cushion.

The Isotopes put plenty of runners on early as well, loading the bases to score their first run when Repko drew a walk with the bags full in the first inning to even the score at 1-1 after New Orleans took a 1-0 lead on a Michael Ryan sacrifice fly. The Z’s would claim a short lead in the in the third thanks to a Gaby Sanchez run-scoring single that plated Cameron Maybin who doubled one batter earlier.

The Isotopes will look for their season-high eighth straight home win tomorrow behind All-Star knuckleballer Charlie Haeger (8-6, 3.74) who will do battle with Z’s righty Clay Hensley (4-2, 2.89) in a 7:05 PM start from Isotopes Park.

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