Oxspring, Sounds Shut Down 51s, 6-3
Published on May 31, 2007 under Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Nashville Sounds News Release
NASHVILLE - Sounds right-hander Chris Oxspring struck out a season-high nine batters over seven scoreless innings to lead Nashville to a 6-3 victory over the Las Vegas 51s in front of 6,434 fans on Thursday evening at Greer Stadium.
The win was Nashville's 16th in the club's last 21 home games and gave the Sounds a winning month of May (16-14) for the first time in eight years.
Oxspring (4-3), who allowed only two hits while matching his season high with his seven innings of work, opened the game with 5 1/3 hitless frames before allowing a Wilson Valdez single in the top of the sixth. The Aussie lowered his ERA to 2.88 with the outstanding outing, his third quality start of the year.
The red-hot Joe Dillon paced the Nashville offense with a 2-for-3 evening that included his team-leading 12th double. The veteran has hit safely in 17 of his last 19 contests, batting at a .409 clip (27-for-66) over that span.
Vinny Rottino also had a solid night at the plate for the Sounds, homering and producing a season-high three RBIs.
Las Vegas starter William Juarez opened the contest with 3 1/3 hitless frames before surrendering a one-out Laynce Nix single. Dating back to his previous start on May 26 against Portland, the right-hander posted 9 1/3 consecutive hitless frames over the two outings, an impressive feat.
After finally recording their first hit, the Sounds put together a big inning against Juarez to grab a 4-0 lead in the fourth. Four of the five Nashville hits in the frame went for extra bases. Dillon followed Nix's single with a double, which extended the veteran's hitting streak to a season-high six games.
Andy Abad plated Nix with the game's first run on a comebacker to Juarez. Brad Nelson followed with an RBI ground-rule double to left to plate Dillon before scoring when Rottino rocketed a two-run homer off the guitar-shaped scoreboard in left-center to increase the lead to 4-0. It was Rottino's sixth home run of the season.
Juarez (1-2), who opened the game with five consecutive strikeouts, took the loss after allowing four runs on six hits while walking four batters and fanning five in his 5 1/3 frames.
The Sounds extended the lead to 6-0 in the seventh against the Las Vegas bullpen. Nelson drew a one-out bases-loaded from Greg Miller to force home Nix before Rottino lifted a sacrifice fly to right to bring in Dillon.
For the second straight evening, the 51s made things interesting in the ninth, this time against Sounds reliever Dennis Sarfate. The visitors cut the 6-0 lead in half with a pair of home runs off the right-hander. Matt Kemp (2-for-4) opened the inning with a single then scored on Mitch Jones' Pacific Coast League co-leading 15th home run of the year, a two-run shot to left-center that ended Nashville's shutout bid.
Two batters later, Sergio Garcia touched Sarfate for the 51s' second roundtripper of the frame, a solo shot to left, to complete the night's scoring.
Abad extended Nashville's longest hitting streak of the season to 11 games with a seventh-inning single.
The teams wrap up the series with another 7 p.m. contest on Friday evening at Greer. Nashville right-hander Yovani Gallardo (7-1, 2.39), who leads the minor leagues with 84 strikeouts, will take the hill to face Las Vegas right-hander Miguel Pinango (2-0, 3.43).
Friday is a special Purity Faith Night at Greer Stadium. Decorated Christian band Jars of Clay will be playing a pre-game concert. A portion of each Faith Night ticket sold on Friday will be dedicated to the group's Blood:Water Mission, which helps fight the AIDS pandemic in Africa.
The Sounds' Faith Night contributions will be specifically committed to community development in Lwala, a rural village in western Kenya to support the efforts of Milton and Fredrick Ochieng, Lwala natives and brothers who are current Vanderbilt medical students constructing a health clinic in their home village.
A fireworks show, sponsored by Your Select Buick-Pontac-GMC dealers, will follow the game.
Pacific Coast League Stories from May 31, 2007
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- River Cats Slug Past âTopes, 7-3 - Albuquerque Isotopes
- Paula, Sky Sox Defeat Zephyrs, 8-5 - New Orleans Baby Cakes
- Bees swat RedHawks, 7-4 - Salt Lake Bees
- Ankiel Belts Walk-Off Homer in Win - Memphis Redbirds
- Ankiel Belts Walk-Off Homer in Win - Memphis Redbirds
- Oxspring, Sounds Shut Down 51s, 6-3 - Nashville Sounds
- Beavers Announce Bob L. Head Winner - Portland Beavers
- Oklahoma RedHawks Game Notes - Oklahoma City Comets
- Royals Game Notes - Omaha Storm Chasers
- Outside the Diamond - Round Rock Express
- Echoing Angels in Concert on Faith & Family Night - Omaha Storm Chasers
- Round Rock's Away, Longhorns Will Play - Round Rock Express
- Grizzlies Take Express-way to Victory - Fresno Grizzlies
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