PORTLAND, Ore. — Chris Sampson worked seven innings for his league-leading sixth win and the Round Rock Express struck for six runs in the fifth inning on their way to a 7-3 victory over the Portland Beavers before 5,170 Sunday afternoon at PGE Park.

Sampson (6-1) held the Beavers scoreless through the first five innings and limited Portland to a run on four hits with eight strikeouts to win his fifth straight start.

Jon Knott hit his eighth home run of the season and Dustin Delucchi drew a bases-loaded walk to spark a two-run Portland rally in the bottom of the ninth, but it wasn’t enough and Round Rock held on. Steve Kent came on to retire Jack Cust with the bases loaded and two outs in the ninth to get the save.

Reliever Mario Ramos, who was reinstated from the disabled list on Friday, came on in the fifth and gave up six runs on five hits and a pair of walks for the loss.

Former Beaver Humberto Quintero doubled to right to lead off the fifth and was aboard when Cody Ransom blasted a first-pitch homer off the ivy in left field to give Round Rock (22-13) a 2-0 lead. The Express eventually loaded the bases and Ramos (0-3) walked in a run and allowed a two-run single to Royce Huffman; Brian Gordon capped the inning with an RBI groundout.

The Beavers (21-16) finally broke through with a run in the sixth. Manny Alexander singled, Cust doubled and Justin Leone reached on a fielding error to drive in Alexander from third.

Ransom scored on Luke Scott’s RBI single in the eighth to make it 7-1.

Newcomer Dewon Brazelton, who joined the Beavers on Saturday, pitched three scoreless innings in relief of starter Mike Thompson, who worked the first inning before exiting due to non-injury-related reasons.

Manny Ayala, transferred to Portland from extended spring training Saturday, turned in two scoreless innings of relief in his Triple-A debut for the Beavers, who used five different pitchers in the game.

The series continues Monday night at 6:35 p.m.

NOTES: One lucky mom, Lisa Everett from Portland, won a $2,000 diamond necklace from Erik Runyan Jewelers as part a post-game mother’s day diamond dig … Cust has reached base in 20 straight games and walked in 10 straight … Knott is the fourth Beaver with eight home runs, joining Cust, Leone and Paul McAnulty, who is now with the Padres.

Beavers Game File
SUNDAY’S GAME: Round Rock 7, Beavers 3.
WINNING PITCHER: Sampson (6-1).
LOSING PITCHER: Ramos (0-3).
SAVE: Kent (1).
HOME RUNS: Ransom (3), Knott (8).
MONDAY’S GAME: Round Rock (Jared Gothreaux: 1-1, 5.14) at Portland (Jack Cassel: 2-2, 4.50), 6:35 p.m.; live broadcast on KKAD AM-1550 and www.portlandbeavers.com.