Express Score Three In 9th To Take Opener
Published on July 31, 2010 under Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Nashville Sounds News Release
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - The Round Rock Express scored three runs in the top of the ninth inning to hang a 7-4 defeat on the Nashville Sounds in front of 6,901 fans on Saturday evening at historic Greer Stadium in the opener of a four-game series.
The loss was the fourth in a row for Nashville (56-51), which fell four games behind division-leading Iowa in the PCL American Conference Northern Division.
After the Sounds came up empty after having the bases loaded and none out in the bottom of the eighth, Round Rock put up a three-spot against Nashville reliever Mike McClendon (4-3) in the ninth. The right-hander had allowed only two runs in 33.0 relief innings all season entering the contest.
Express catcher Edwin Bellorin turned in an outstanding at-bat to lead off the ninth against McClendon, fouling off 14 balls after he had two strikes on him before slapping an opposite-field double to right. Pinch-hitter Collin DeLome then ripped the first pitch he saw from the right-hander over the head of Gamel in right field for an RBI double to give the visitors a 5-4 lead.
Shelton lifted a sacrifice fly and Locke added a two-out bloop RBI single later in the frame in increase the Round Rock cushion to 7-4.
Right-hander Tim Corcoran worked around a one-out Ray Olmedo triple in the bottom of the ninth to toss a scoreless frame and notch his eighth save of the year.
The late Express rally made a winner out of Gary Majewski (4-3), who had successfully worked into and out of the bases-loaded jam in the eighth in his lone frame of action.
Nashville second baseman Eric Farris went 0-for-4 in the contest to snap the Sounds' hitting streak of the season at 14 games.
Sounds starting pitcher Chase Wright helped his own cause in the third, driving a one-out RBI single up the middle off Express starter Josh Banks to give Nashville a 1-0 lead. Catcher Martin Maldonado, who preceded the hurler with a ground-rule double to center, scored on the knock.
Wright is hitting a healthy .333 (8-for-24) this season, while Maldonado has hit safely in 15 of his last 16 contests for the Sounds.
Right fielder Mat Gamel doubled the Sounds' advantage an inning later, swatting a leadoff homer to right off Banks. The blast, which made it a 2-0 game, was his eighth longball of the year.
Round Rock finally got on the board in the top of the sixth, taking a 4-2 lead with a four-run rally. With one out, Wladimir Sutil, Brian Bogusevic, and Chris Shelton put together three consecutive singles, the last of which plated Sutil to cut the Nashville lead to 2-1 and chased Wright from the contest.
Right-hander Carlos Villanueva took over for Wright, making his first minor league appearance since 2007, and served up a go-ahead three-run homer to the first batter he faced. Express right fielder Drew Locke belted the blast to left on a 2-2 pitch, his 12th roundtripper of the year.
Sounds left fielder Adam Stern (2-for-4) evened the score at 4-4 in the home half of the sixth when he lined a two-run homer to right off Banks, his fourth tater of the season. Lorenzo Cain opened the frame with a single and scored on the blast.
The game was delayed for 62 minutes in the middle of the eighth inning due to rain.
As the game resumed, Nashville missed a golden opportunity to break the tie.
Pinch-hitter Norris Hopper singled to right off Majewski to open the bottom of the eighth and advanced to second when Locke misplayed the ball. Cain drew a walk and Stern blooped a single just over the outstretched glove of Sutil in shallow center to load the bases with none out.
Majewski recovered to strike out Gamel and Joe Koshansky consecutively before Luis Cruz grounded out to short to end the inning.
Neither starter factored in the decision. Wright took a no-decision for the Sounds after being charged with three runs on four hits over 5 1/3 innings, walking two batters and striking out five. Banks allowed four runs on seven hits, including a pair of homers, over his six frames of work.
The series continues with another 6:35 p.m. meeting on Sunday night. Right-hander Marty McLeary (5-6, 7.34), who has won five of his seven starts for the Sounds this season, will man the bump for Nashville to face Round Rock southpaw Andy Van Hekken (6-6, 4.31).
Pacific Coast League Stories from July 31, 2010
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