PCL1 Nashville Sounds

Branyan Belts Three Homers, Sounds Win 10-8

May 16, 2008 - Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Nashville Sounds News Release


NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Third baseman Russell Branyan's club record-tying third home run of the evening in the bottom of the eighth inning propelled the Nashville Sounds to a 10-8 victory over visiting New Orleans on Friday evening at Greer Stadium.

Branyan (4-for-5) drove in a Sounds season-best six runs while becoming the sixth Nashville player in the club's 31-year history to belt three home runs in a contest.

With his four-hit effort, the veteran infielder raised his batting average to .374 on the year.

Branyan's three roundtrippers increased his team-leading tally to 11 on the year, a total that ties him for third in the Pacific Coast League, only one back of the leaders.

The Sounds squandered an early 7-2 advantage as New Orleans scored six unanswered runs to grab an 8-7 lead in the top of the eighth before Nashville rallied for a three-spot in the bottom of the frame, highlighted by Branyan's opposite-field, two-run, game-winning blast to left.

Sounds first baseman Brad Nelson also enjoyed a solid evening, finishing 3-for-5 with two RBIs and two runs scored to increase his average to .324.

New Orleans took a 1-0 lead in the top of the second inning on Argenis Reyes' two-out RBI single off Sounds starter Jeff Weaver, which scored Michel Abreu from second.

Branyan quickly erased that deficit when he slugged a two-run home run off Zephyrs starter Adam Bostick in the bottom of the frame. The blast, which plated Nelson, was the veteran's team-leading ninth of the year and gave the home team a 2-1 lead. The Sounds added a third run later in the frame when Brendan Katin scored from third on a Steve Sollmann sacrifice fly.

Branyan struck again in the third when he belted another two-run homer off Bostick, this one an opposite-field shot to left that again plated Nelson.

Zephyrs right fielder Val Pascucci pulled the visitors within 5-2 in the fourth with a one-out solo homer to right, his sixth roundtripper of the season.

Nelson increased the Sounds' lead to 7-2 in the bottom of the fourth with a bases-loaded two-run single that chased Bostick from the contest.

New Orleans rallied to knot the contest at 7-7 with a five-run fifth against Weaver, highlighted by a two-run Jesus Feliciano single as the Z's sent nine batters to the plate.

The Sounds squandered a scoring opportunity in the bottom of the fifth, loading the bases with one out but failing to push a run across as Adam Heether struck out and Laynce Nix flew out against Z's reliever Ivan Maldonado.

The Zephyrs took an 8-7 lead in the top of the eighth against Derrick Turnbow when Abreu, who had reached on a fielder's choice earlier in the frame, scored from third on a two-out wild pitch.

Nashville evened things in the bottom of the frame by also scoring on a wild pitch. Sollmann led off with a walk, stole second and moved to third when catcher Raul Casanova's throw went into center field, and scored when Nate Field's 3-2 offering to Nix went to the screen.

After Nelson struck out, Branyan crushed a 1-0 Field offering over the left field wall to put Nashville in front by the final 10-8 margin.

Turnbow (1-0) was awarded the victory following the late Nashville rally. The right-hander allowed one run in his lone inning of work and walked a pair of hitters. He threw only 10 of his 24 pitches for strikes.

Luis Pena retired the Zephyrs in order in the ninth, including strikeouts of the final two batters, to notch his fifth save.

Field (1-2) took the loss after allowing the three eighth-inning runs to the Sounds.

Neither starter factored in the decision. Weaver allowed seven runs (six earned) on a Sounds season-high 12 hits over six innings. Bostick surrendered seven runs on eight hits over his 3 1/3 frames of action.

The teams continue the series with a 6 p.m. matchup on Saturday. Left-hander Chris Narveson (2-4, 3.94) will man the bump for Nashville and face New Orleans right-hander Tony Armas, Jr. (1-4, 3.02).

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Pacific Coast League Stories from May 16, 2008


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