Sounds Drop Series Opener In Oklahoma, 6-1
Published on April 7, 2008 under Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Nashville Sounds News Release
OKLAHOMA CITY - The Nashville Sounds came up on the short end of a 6-1 loss against the Oklahoma RedHawks on Monday evening at AT&T Bricktown Ballpark in the opener of a four-game series.
Former Brewer Kevin Mench and left fielder Brandon Boggs each had two extra-base hits and scored two runs apiece to pace the Oklahoma offense, while rehabbing hurler Luis Mendoza held the Sounds to one run over his 7 1/3 innings of work.
The Sounds took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning when Hernan Iribarren opened the contest with an infield single, stole second, and later scored on a Vinny Rottino groundout. With his hit, Iribarren extended his hitting streak to four games, matching the longest by a Nashville player in the young season.
Nashville starter Lindsay Gulin deftly worked out of a one-out, bases-loaded jam in the bottom of the frame created by a single sandwiched by a pair of Sounds fielding errors. The left-hander induced a foul popout from Jarrod Saltamacchia then escaped the jam unscathed following a soft lineout off the bat of Mench (2-for-4). Prior to the two fielding gaffs in the bottom of the first, the Nashville defense had not committed an error in their previous 27 innings.
Oklahoma tied the contest at 1-1 in the bottom of the second with a pair of extra-base hits off Gulin. Boggs (2-for-3) led off with a double and came around to score two batters later on a Casey Benjamin triple to right-center.
The RedHawks took a 3-1 lead in the bottom of the third with a pair of unearned runs stemming from a two-out throwing error by Nashville shortstop Ozzie Chavez. Former Sound Nelson Cruz plated one of the Oklahoma runs with a two-out RBI single that greeted reliever Jason Shiell.
Oklahoma broke the game open in the seventh with a three-run outburst against Sounds reliever Ben Howard. After Saltamacchia drew a one-out walk, Mench and Boggs delivered a run-scoring double and triple, respectively, to increase the lead to 5-1 and chase the right-hander. Ryan Roberts greeted Mitch Stetter with an RBI single that upped the advantage to its final 6-1.
RedHawks hurlers were on cruise control in the middle innings, retiring 10 straight batters from the fifth through the eighth before Laynce Nix opened the Sounds' ninth with a double against Frank Francisco, his first extra-base knock of the year. The Oklahoma right-hander recovered to retire the next three batters in order to end the contest.
Mendoza (1-0) picked up the win after allowing one run on seven hits over 7 1/3 frames of work. He struck out two batters during his 81-pitch effort.
Gulin (0-1) absorbed the loss after he allowed three runs (one earned) on four hits over 3 2/3 innings in his first start of the year.
The teams continue the series with a 7:05 p.m. matchup on Tuesday evening. Sounds left-hander Zach Jackson (0-1, 6.00) will man the bump to face Oklahoma right-hander Eric Hurley (0-0, 5.40).
Pacific Coast League Stories from April 7, 2008
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- RedHawks Game Notes - Oklahoma City Comets
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