John Ely shook off a rough first inning and helped the lead the Albuquerque Isotopes to an 8-5 win over the visiting Las Vegas 51s on Thursday night.
"I definitely wanted to turn that one around," Ely said. "Everything seemed a little off in the first inning. I wanted to make adjustments and that's fortunately what I was able to do that."
The loss snapped a three-game losing streak for Albuquerque (65-48), which maintained a 1.5-game lead over Oklahoma City (63-49) in the American Southern Division.
"It was big, we're back at home, we like to win at home for our fan base," said left fielder Jerry Sands, who drove in three runs. "We want to get as many wins as we can while we're here. We had a little losing drought, so it's good to get out of that, get a winning taste back in our mouths."
Ely (11-7) went seven innings, allowing four runs on five hits and two walks while striking out four batters.
His rough spots were in the first inning, when he allowed two singles and two walks that led to a pair of runs, and the sixth inning, when he served up a two-run homer to Danny Perales.
After the home run Ely retired the last six batters he faced in order.
"He got increasingly better," manager Lorenzo Bundy said. "I think the seventh inning was his best inning. I think he got (ticked) off for giving up the two-run homer. He stayed out there.
"He obviously competes as much as anybody I've ever had. That's one thing about John Ely, I don't ever have to worry about him competing."
Luckily for Ely, the Isotopes' lineup provided plenty of run support. Ivan De Jesus Jr.'s RBI triple, Alex Castellanos' RBI double and Josh Fields' RBI single in the first inning put Albuquerque ahead 3-0.
"Fortunately for us we answered their two with a three-spot," Bundy said.
Matt Angle would add an RBI double in the fifth before Las Vegas rallied to tie the game 4-4 on Perales' home run in the sixth.
The Isotopes came right back as De Jesus walked and Castellanos singled with two outs and the rain coming down in the seventh. Sands ripped a two-run double off the hill in center field to put his team ahead for good.
"I was just trying to get something up to drive, I had a couple guys on base," Sands said.
Albuquerque would tack on two insurance runs in the eighth to make it 8-4, only to see the 51s nearly rally in the ninth.
Josh Wall came on in relief of the wild Scott Rice, retiring the final two batters of the game for his 20th save.
Angle finished the game 4-for-5, while Fields â€" a night after snapping out of an 0-for-30 slump with a hit in his final at-bat â€" went 3-for-4 with two RBI. Castellanos added three hits, while Oeltjen and De Jesus had two apiece.
The Isotopes and 51s will meet again Friday at 7:05 p.m.
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