PCL1 Nashville Sounds

Nelson Homers Again, Sounds Edge 'Hawks 3-1

April 19, 2007 - Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Nashville Sounds News Release


OKLAHOMA CITY - Brad Nelson homered for the second straight day and Yovani Gallardo fanned seven batters during a quality start in leading the Nashville Sounds to a 3-1 victory over the Oklahoma RedHawks on Thursday evening at AT&T Bricktown Ballpark.

The win was the seventh in the last nine contests for Nashville (8-6), which remains in a tie for first place in the PCL American Conference Northern Division. All four Sounds hits in the contest went for extra bases.

The Sounds grabbed an early 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning when Jose Macias opened the game by reaching on a fielding error then scored unearned three batters later on a JD Closser sacrifice fly.

Nelson (2-for-4) doubled the advantage an inning later when he belted his second home run in as many games, a solo shot to right that came on a 3-2 pitch from Oklahoma starter Alfredo Simon. It was the slugger's second longball of the year and extended Nelson's hitting streak to seven games, the longest by a Nashville player this season.

The Sounds added another run in the second after Chris Barnwell reached base the hard way, taking a Simon fastball off his helmet, and scored on a Macias two-out RBI triple into the right field corner, making it a 3-0 contest.

The RedHawks got a run back against Sounds starter Yovani Gallardo in the bottom of the second when Marlon Byrd tripled off the wall in right-center and scored a batter later on a Desi Relaford groundout.

Gallardo (2-1) allowed one run on three hits while striking out seven batters and walking one over his six innings of work. The 21-year-old lowered his ERA to 2.65 through three starts for Nashville.

Simon (1-2) was nearly as effective but took the loss after surrendering three runs (two earned) on three hits in seven frames. He walked two batters and fanned five.

Luther Hackman worked two scoreless frames behind Gallardo before allowing a leadoff single to Freddy Guzman in the ninth. Mitch Stetter was summoned from the bullpen and walked the only batter he faced, Ramon Vazquez, to put the potential tying run on base.

Dennis Sarfate took over on the hill for Nashville and fanned the first two batters he faced before inducing a game-ending groundout from Byrd to secure the win and notch his team-leading third save in three opportunities.

The teams wrap up the four-game series with another 7:05 p.m. meeting on Friday evening. Left-hander Zach Jackson (2-1, 2.35) will man the bump for Nashville to face Oklahoma right-hander Josh Rupe (0-1, 3.00).

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