PCL1 Nashville Sounds

Bullpen Fails Again, Sounds Drop Fifth In A Row

Published on May 13, 2007 under Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Nashville Sounds News Release


SALT LAKE CITY - The Sounds' bullpen struggles continued on Saturday evening at Franklin Covey Field as Nashville blew a pair of saves in a 9-8, 11-inning loss to the Salt Lake Bees in the opener of a four-game series.

The loss was the fifth in a row for Nashville (18-18), which matches the club's longest skid of the year. The Sounds, who sit at .500 for the first time since April 17 (6-6), have lost 11 of their last 13 road contests.

Mike Rivera's three-run homer highlighted a four-run eighth inning that had propelled the Sounds to a 7-5 lead, their first of the contest.

Luther Hackman took over on the hill for the Sounds in the ninth and retired the first two batters in order before allowing a Gary Patchett single followed by a game-tying two-run home run by Nathan Haynes, the outfielder's fourth of the year.

After neither team scored in the tenth, the Sounds grabbed an 8-7 lead in the top of the eleventh when Callix Crabbe drilled a two-out RBI double off Greg Jones to plate Drew Anderson.

For the second time in three innings, Salt Lake rallied to avoid defeat, this time against Alec Zumwalt. With one out, Casey Smith reached on an infield single and scored the tying run one batter later on a Ben Johnson double. A fielding error by Nashville right fielder Jose Macias on the play allowed Johnson to reach third with only one out. Zumwalt struck out Patchett for the second out and intentionally walked Haynes before giving up a game-ending RBI single to Terry Evans.

The last at-bat loss was the Sounds' third in the last five games and the club's seventh of the year. Nashville has 10 blown saves on the year against only eight saves.

The Bees grabbed a 1-0 lead with a two-out rally against Zach Jackson in the bottom of the second. After the first two batters were retired, Jeff Mathis singled then scored the game's first run on a Smith RBI triple to right.

Salt Lake increased the advantage to 3-0 in the third with another two-out run-scoring knock, a two-run Mike Elyward double to right that plated Adam Pavkovich and Haynes.

The Sounds battled back within a run at 3-2 with a two-out rally of their own against Bees starter Kasey Olenberger in the top of the fourth frame. Red-hot Sounds catcher Vinny Rottino (2-for-4) extended his season-best hitting streak to seven games with a two-out, two-run double to left to bring in Rivera and Brad Nelson.

The Bees increased the lead back to a three-run cushion in the fifth on a two-run Evans homer to left off Jackson. It was the outfielder's fifth longball of the season and pushed the advantage to 5-2.

Nashville pulled within 5-3 on Macias' two-out RBI double off Olenberger in the seventh before exploding for four runs against Salt Lake reliever Chris Resop in the eighth to grab its first lead of the night at 6-5. Rivera delivered the big blast, smacking a three-run home run to left to push the visitors into the lead. The blast, which scored Chris Barnwell and Laynce Nix, was Rivera's third of the year.

The Sounds increased the lead to 7-5 later in the frame when Nelson followed Rivera's blast with a triple off the center field wall then scored on a Drew Anderson suicide squeeze bunt.

Macias finished 3-for-4 and has produced seven hits in his last eight at-bats for the Sounds.

Jones (2-0) backed into the victory for Salt Lake after allowing a run in his lone inning of work. Zumwalt (0-2) took the loss after giving up two runs in two-thirds of an inning.

Jackson took a no-decision after allowing five runs on seven hits over 6 2/3 innings of work for the Sounds. He struck out a season-best seven batters but also issued a season-high five walks.

The Sounds look to get back on the winning track when the teams continue the series with a 3:05 p.m. CT meeting on Sunday afternoon. Right-hander R.A. Dickey (1-4, 5.94) will man the bump for the Sounds and face Salt Lake right-hander Henry Bonilla (4-1, 2.96).

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Pacific Coast League Stories from May 13, 2007


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