PCL1 Nashville Sounds

First-Place Sounds Take Down I-Cubs, 9-1

Published on May 2, 2006 under Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Nashville Sounds News Release


NASHVILLE, Tenn. - The Nashville Sounds got back on the winning track on Tuesday evening at Greer Stadium, posting a 9-1 victory over the division-rival Iowa Cubs.

The victory was the sixth in the last seven games for first-place Nashville (17-8), which has won 16 of its last 20 contests overall.

Every starting position player in the Sounds lineup recorded a hit and each of the top six batters in the lineup scored a run in the contest.

Outfielder Corey Hart led the way with a 4-for-5 effort that included three doubles and extended his season-best hitting streak to seven games. He became the first Sound to record three doubles in a game since Luis Garcia accomplished the feat on May 26, 2002 at Colorado Springs. Hart's four-hit effort matched the best by a Sounds batter this season.

Rightfielder Nelson Cruz spotted the Sounds a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning with a sacrifice fly to right that scored Brent Abernathy.

The Cubs tied it with a run in the top of the fourth against Nashville starter Justin Thompson. Ryan Theriot drew a walk to open the inning, stole second, and scored on Geovany Soto's two-out RBI single to right.

Mike Rivera (2-for-5) extended his PCL-best hitting streak to 15 games and staked the Sounds to a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the fourth with a leadoff homer to left off Iowa starter Raul Valdes. The blast was the catcher's fifth longball of the season and third in his last four games. In addition to his hit streak, Rivera has scored a run in the last eight games.

Nashville pulled out to a 6-1 lead with a four-run bottom of the fifth. Hart upped the lead to 3-1 in the fifth with a one-out RBI double down the left field line that scored Tony Gwynn.

Cruz added his second RBI of the night when he followed by plating Hart with an RBI single. Vinny Rottino (3-for-4) capped off the frame's scoring with a two-out, two-run homer to left that flew over the foul pole. The blast was his second roundtripper of the year.

Hart ripped his third double of the game in the bottom of the sixth to drive in Gwynn and push the Nashville lead to 7-1 then added an RBI single off Cubs reliever Andy Shipman in the bottom of the eight to plate Jermaine Clark.

Rivera closed out the evening's scoring with an eighth-inning RBI single off Shipman that plated Hart for a 9-1 Sounds advantage.

Nashville shortstop Chris Barnwell went 1-for-3 on the evening to extend his team-best on-base streak to 18 games. The streak is 3rd-best among all PCL players this season.

Thompson (2-0) earned a victory for the second straight start after tossing a season-high six innings. He allowed one run on three hits and struck out five batters in his 80-pitch outing. Valdes (1-2) took the loss for Iowa after surrendering four runs on eight hits in his 4 1/3 frames.

The teams continue the series with a noon matinee on Wednesday afternoon. Left-hander Zach Jackson (0-1, 3.43) will make the start for the Sounds to face Iowa right-hander Jerome Williams (0-1, 3.86).

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Pacific Coast League Stories from May 2, 2006


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