Parker, Gray lift Isotopes past 51s

Kyle Parker went 3-for-4 with two doubles, two RBIs and two runs to back Jon Gray‘s strong pitching and lead the Albuquerque Isotopes to an 8-1 win over the 51s in a Pacific Coast League game Sunday in Albuquerque, N.M.

Gray (5-6) held Las Vegas (55-40) to one unearned run on three hits and two walks and struck out seven in five innings as the Isotopes (43-52) earned a split of the teams‘ four-game series.

Angelys Nina went 2-for-4 with an RBI double for Albuquerque, which had an 11-7 edge in hits.

51s starter Logan Verrett (3-1) gave up three runs on four hits and one walk and struck out four in five innings as Las Vegas was dealt its second straight loss after an eight-game win streak.

Dilson Herrera went 3-for-5 with a triple and a run for the 51s, who went 0-for-10 with runners in scoring position and left nine runners on base.

Roger Bernadina hit a three-run homer in the eighth inning off Las Vegas reliever John Church.

Herrera hit Gray‘s second pitch for a triple, but was stranded after Gray struck out the next three batters.

Nina and Jeremy Barfield each had a two-out RBI hit in the second inning, and from there the Isotopes never trailed.

The 51s scored their run in the third, when Herrera led off with a single, moved up on a walk and an errant pickoff throw and came home on a groundout by Brandon Allen.

Albuquerque reliever Simon Castro pitched two shutout innings with three strikeouts, and Jason Gurka and Justin Miller each pitched one scoreless inning.