Another Late Rally Dooms Sounds In 2-1 Loss
Published on April 13, 2006 under Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Nashville Sounds News Release
DES MOINES - The Nashville Sounds dropped the finale of a four-game series to the Iowa Cubs by a 2-1 count on Thursday afternoon at Principal Park, resulting in a series split.
Nashville finished its season-opening road trip with a 3-5 record.
The Sounds held on to a 1-0 lead as long as they could but the Cubs struck in the bottom of the eighth with a pair of runs in their final turn at bat. It marked the fifth time in Nashville's five losses that the opponent scored the winning runs in its final half-inning at the plate.
Sounds starters remained strong on the season as left-hander Zach Jackson held the Cubs scoreless through 5 1/3 innings and allowed only four hits. Jackson faced a close call in the bottom of the third when a line-drive hit by Augie Ojeda grazed his left hand, but the southpaw remained in the game unphased by the blow.
The Sounds took a 1-0 lead in the top of the fifth on a Vinny Rottino double that scored Jermaine Clark. After the fifth, the Nashville offense went cold as they left seven men on base and recorded only two hits the last four innings.
Allan Simpson came in to relieve Jackson in the bottom of the sixth and held the Cubs scoreless until the bottom of the eighth, when he gave up a first-pitch leadoff home run to Jeff Deardorff.
After the home run, Mitch Stetter (0-2) was called into the game. The left-hander pitched one-third of an inning and gave up one run on two hits to take his second loss of the season. Michael Restovich broke the 1-1 tie with an eighth-inning RBI single off Stetter to score Ryan Theriot from third with the eventual winning run.
Two Sounds, Rottino and Mark Johnson, both broke out of personal slumps. Rottino broke out of his 0-for-12 slump by going 2-for-4 with the team's lone RBI, and Johnson recorded his first two hits of the season, ending an 0-for-10 start to the campaign. Clark and Chris Barnwell combined for the other four Sounds hits, two apiece.
Prior to the Cubs' two-run outburst in the eighth, it looked as though the one Sounds run was going to be enough to win. The Nashville defense held five baserunners in scoring position and turned two double plays helping to keep the Cubs scoreless early in the game. The two twin killings gave the Sounds a league-leading 14 on the year.
The Cubs tried to strike in the bottom of the fifth. Restovich led off with a triple to the wall. Restovich was unable to score thanks to a great defensive play by Brad Nelson. Jamel Strong hit a groundball to Nelson and, instead of going to first, Nelson threw out Restovich at the plate keeping the Cubs scoreless.
The Sounds return to Greer Stadium on Friday for their 7 p.m. home opener against the Oklahoma RedHawks (AAA-Rangers). Left-hander Dana Eveland (0-0, 1.80) takes the mound for Nashville to face RedHawks right-hander Jon Leicester (1-0, 7.20) in the first game of a four-game series between the clubs.
Pacific Coast League Stories from April 13, 2006
- Portland three-hit in 3-1 loss - Portland Beavers
- Express Split Series with Oklahoma after 3-2 Loss - Round Rock Express
- Zephyrs win seventh straight - New Orleans Baby Cakes
- RedHawks hold on for 3-2 win - Oklahoma City Comets
- Pacific Coast League Hall of Fame celebrates class of 2006 - PCL1
- Another Late Rally Dooms Sounds In 2-1 Loss - Nashville Sounds
- Grizzlies to open 2006 season at Grizzlies Stadium - Fresno Grizzlies
- Isotopes end midwest swing with 11-5 loss to Omaha - Albuquerque Isotopes
- Oklahoma RedHawk Game Notes - Oklahoma City Comets
- Royals game notes - Omaha Storm Chasers
- Beavers come back but fall to late power surge - Portland Beavers
- Gonzalez and bullpen turn in quality performance to shut out Grizzlies 3-0 - Tucson Sidewinders
- Express survive slugfest with RedHawks - Round Rock Express
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