PCL1 Nashville Sounds

Dillard Grabs PCL Wins Lead In Sounds' 5-3 Victory

Published on July 9, 2009 under Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Nashville Sounds News Release


NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Right-hander Tim Dillard earned his league-leading ninth victory of the season with a quality start in leading the Nashville Sounds to a 5-3 win over the Round Rock Express on Thursday evening in front of 7,617 fans at historic Greer Stadium.

Dillard (9-3) became the first Pacific Coast League hurler to reach nine wins as he worked his third quality start in his last four trips to the hill, allowing three runs on 11 hits in his 6 2/3 frames of action.

R.J. Swindle and Ryan Houston combined for 2 1/3 scoreless frames of relief behind Dillard, with Houston working a scoreless ninth to secure his fifth save of the year.

Round Rock took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning. Reggie Abercrombie led off with an infield single, moved to third on a failed pickoff by Dillard, then scored on a Tommy Manzella groundout.

Sounds cleanup hitter Brendan Katin knotted the contest at 1-1 in the bottom of the frame with a two-out RBI double to right off Express starter Jeremy Johnson that plated Alcides Escobar (walk). The two-bagger was the outfielder's team-leading 24th of the year and resulted in his 72nd RBI, the 2nd-highest total in the PCL.

Dillard helped his own cause in the second by giving Nashville a 2-1 advantage with a two-out RBI single to center, scoring Cole Gillespie.

The Express evened the contest in the third when Abercrombie doubled to open the frame and later scored on a Brian Bogusevic groundout.

Nashville pulled back in front with a pair of runs off Johnson in the bottom of the third. Second baseman Hernan Iribarren singled to extend the Sounds' longest active hit streak to eight games and, after a Katin walk, scored on Joe Koshansky's double to right. Adam Heether followed with an RBI groundout to bring home Katin for a two-run lead.

Round Rock third baseman Chris Johnson pulled the visitors back within a run at 4-3 in the sixth when he led off the frame with a solo homer to dead center, his fourth longball of the year.

The Sounds added an insurance run in unearned fashion in the seventh thanks to a pair of throwing errors by Round Rock reliever Geoff Geary, increasing the lead to 5-3.

Johnson (5-7) was saddled with the loss for the Express after giving up four runs on seven hits in his five innings of work.

The teams continue the series with another 7 p.m. matchup on Friday evening at Greer. Left-hander Chris Cody (3-3, 3.53) will man the bump for the Sounds to face Round Rock southpaw Polin Trinidad (0-0, 2.70).

It will be another Purity Faith Night at the ballpark. Christian recording artist GRITS will perform a pre-game concert in the left field parking lot. A postgame fireworks show will follow the on-field action.

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Pacific Coast League Stories from July 9, 2009


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