PCL1 Nashville Sounds

Gray Leads River Cats Past Sounds in Homecoming

Published on May 11, 2013 under Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Nashville Sounds News Release


NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Middle Tennessee native Sonny Gray threw six shutout innings to lead the Sacramento River Cats to a 5-2 victory over the Nashville Sounds in front of a near-capacity crowd of 9,201 fans on Saturday evening at Greer Stadium.

Gray (4-1), who grew up in nearby Smyrna, Tenn. and later starred at Vanderbilt, pitched as a professional for the first time in his hometown and authored a quality-start win for the third straight outing. The 23-year-old held the Sounds to three hits while striking out a season-high eight batters and walking five in his six scoreless frames.

Tyler Thornburg (0-4) matched Gray's effort with a solid outing of his own for the Sounds. He took a hard-luck loss, however, after striking out a season-high 10 batters while limiting the River Cats to two runs on seven hits over 5 2/3 frames.

Nashville batters extended a pair of significant streaks in the early going. Scooter Gennett wasted listed time pushing the PCL's longest on-base streak of the season to 29 games, drawing a leadoff walk in the bottom of the first inning. Third baseman Stephen Parker extended Nashville's longest hitting streak of the year to 14 games with a leadoff double to right-center in the second.

Sacramento right fielder Jeremy Barfield stifled an early Sounds' attempt to break a scoreless tie in the bottom of the second inning when he fielded Caleb Gindl's two-out single and fired a strike to the plate to gun down Gennett, who attempted to score from second on the play.

River Cats center fielder Michael Choice spotted the visitors a 2-0 lead in the fourth when he lifted a towering two-run homer to left-center off Thornburg. Shane Peterson, who preceded Choice with a single, also scored on the outfielder's seventh big fly of the year.

Sacramento doubled its lead to 4-0 in the seventh with two runs against reliever Johnnie Lowe. Jemile Weeks, the younger brother of former Sound Rickie Weeks, led off with a triple to right and scored on Grant Green's ensuing single. The River Cats tacked on an unearned run later in the frame following a fielding error by Parker at third base. Scott Moore's two-out RBI double to right plated Shane Peterson. On the play, right fielder Khris Davis combined with shortstop Blake Davis on a relay to the plate to nail Stephen Vogt as he attempted to score a second run on the two-bagger.

The Sounds broke up Sacramento's shutout bid in the bottom of the eighth inning against reliever Pedro Figueroa. Caleb Gindl drew a leadoff walk and scored when Khris Davis followed with a laser RBI double to center.

Sacramento wrapped up its scoring in the top of the ninth when Green doubled and scored on a two-out Choice RBI single to center off Lowe to increase the lead to 5-1.

Nashville didn't go down without a fight in the home half of the final frame, plating a run against River Cats closer Dan Otero. Hainley Statia (3-for-4) led off with a single before scoring from first on Gennett's one-out RBI double to the left-center wall to score the night's final run.

The teams continue the series with a 2:05 p.m. matinee on Sunday afternoon at Greer Stadium. Left-hander Zach Kroenke (0-5, 7.30) will look to pick up his first win of the season when he takes the hill for the Sounds to face Sacramento southpaw Andrew Werner (2-5, 8.54).

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Pacific Coast League Stories from May 11, 2013


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