PCL1 Nashville Sounds

Barnwell, Gallardo Lead Sounds To Series Sweep

April 24, 2007 - Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Nashville Sounds News Release


NASHVILLE - Chris Barnwell belted two home runs and Yovani Gallardo allowed one hit while striking out seven over six innings to lead the Nashville Sounds to a 7-1 victory over the division-rival Iowa Cubs on Tuesday morning at Greer Stadium in front of 9,777 screaming fans, mostly schoolchildren, on Sounds Reading Club day at the ballpark.

The win, Nashville's season-best seventh in a row, completed a four-game sweep of the I-Cubs and gave the red-hot Sounds (13-6) 12 victories in their last 14 contests.

The win featured another dominant pitching performance by the Sounds' staff. Iowa was held to one run on three hits on the afternoon and was outscored 20-4 by Nashville in the series. Opponents have scored only 11 runs against Nashville during the club's current seven-game win streak, including one-run efforts on five occasions.

Gallardo (3-1) earned a victory for the third consecutive outing, holding Iowa to one run on one hit while walking three and striking out seven over six frames. The 21-year-old moved into a tie for the minor-league lead with 33 strikeouts on the year, a total that paces the Pacific Coast League.

In his last three outings, Gallardo has allowing two runs on seven hits in 18 innings while posting a 1.00 ERA and striking out 26 batters.

Barnwell paced the Nashville offense with a 2-for-4, three-RBI day that included his first career multi-homer effort.

The Sounds scratched across the game's first run when Gallardo drew a bases-loaded walk from Iowa starter Carlos Marmol to force home Andy Abad, but Nashville missed an opportunity for a big inning after loading the bags with none out. Aside from issuing the walk, Marmol worked around the jam by fanning two batters and inducing an infield popup.

The visitors tied it in the top of the third when Carlos Rojas drew an inning-opening walk from Gallardo and came around to score on Eric Patterson's two-out bloop double down the left field line.

Barnwell put Nashville back on top by a 2-1 count in the fourth when he slugged his first home run in 123 at-bats, dating back to the 2006 season, a two-out solo shot to left off Marmol.

Nashville blew the game open in the sixth, plating four runs against Marmol and reliever Clay Rapada. JD Closser walked and moved to third on an Abad double before Sounds shortstop Ozzie Chavez (3-for-4) plated both when he greeted Rapada with a two-run double to left. Barnwell followed with his second roundtripper of the afternoon to make it a 6-1 contest.

The Sounds tacked on an unearned run against Ben Howard in the eighth that scored when Chavez raced home on a Geovany Soto passed ball.

Marmol (2-1) suffered his first loss of the year after surrendering four runs on five hits over his 5 1/3 innings.

Alec Zumwalt, Mitch Stetter, and Steve Bray combined for three scoreless frames behind Gallardo to ice the Nashville win.

After joining the entire Pacific Coast League for an off day tomorrow, the Sounds travel to Omaha on Thursday to open an eight-game road trip that includes series against the division-rival Royals and a return engagement with the I-Cubs.

Nashville left-hander Zach Jackson (3-1, 3.38) will start Thursday's 6:35 p.m. series opener. Omaha will counter with rehabbing right-hander Scott Elarton (0-1, 5.40).

Thursday's meeting will be the first between Nashville and Omaha this season; the Sounds won the 2006 season series by a 9-7 margin.

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Pacific Coast League Stories from April 24, 2007


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