PCL1 Nashville Sounds

Redbirds Take Series Opener From Sounds, 6-5

Published on May 21, 2007 under Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Nashville Sounds News Release


NASHVILLE - The Memphis Redbirds used a four home run barrage to etch a 6-5 victory over the Nashville Sounds on Monday evening at Greer Stadium in the opener of a four-game series.

The four home runs were the most hit by Memphis (22-23) this season as well as the most surrendered by the Sounds (23-21) in a single game in 2007.

Trailing 6-4 entering the bottom of the ninth, Nashville rallied to plate a two-out run and had the potential tying run standing at third base when pinch-hitter Brad Nelson was struck out looking by Memphis closer Brian Falkenborg for the game's final out.

Andy Abad paced Nashville with a 3-for-4 evening that included his fifth homer of the year. The remainder of the Sounds roster combined for only four additional knocks on the evening.

Memphis left fielder Nick Stavinoha gave the visitors a 1-0 lead in the top of the second inning when he belted a leadoff solo homer off the top of the left field wall against Nashville starter Chris Oxspring. The blast was his sixth of the year.

The Sounds knotted the score in the bottom of the frame when Charles Thomas stepped to the plate with runners at first and third and lined a ball into right field. Abad scored an unearned run on the play but Thomas only received credit for a fielder's choice as Vinny Rottino was forced out at second by rightfielder Rick Ankiel.

Redbirds second baseman Edgar Gonzalez put the visitors back in front in the fourth with a mammoth home run to left-center that struck the upper portion of the guitar-shaped scoreboard. The longball, which came against Oxspring, was his second of the season.

Memphis pulled away with a three-run fifth against Oxspring, plating all three scores with two outs in the frame. Shortstop Brendan Ryan increased the lead to 3-1 with his first home run of the season, a two-out solo shot to left off Oxspring. After Rico Washington and Stavinoha each singled to put runners on the corners, Washington scored on an Oxspring wild pitch and Ankiel followed with an RBI single to push the lead to 5-1.

Oxspring (2-3) suffered his second loss in his last three starts after allowing five runs on six hits, including three homers, over five innings while walking three and striking out three. The three home runs surrendered by the right-hander matched the most allowed by a Sounds hurler this season; R.A. Dickey served up three taters on April 16 at New Orleans.

Abad pulled the Sounds within a pair of runs at 5-3 with a two-run home run off the right field foul pole in the bottom of the seventh. The roundtripper, which came against Memphis starter Mike Parisi and scored Joe Dillon, was the veteran's fifth of the year.

Nashville got another run back in the eighth against Memphis reliever Chris Lambert when pinch-hitter Chris Barnwell led off with a ground-rule double to right-center, was sacrificed to third, and scored on a Ryan Braun RBI single, the third baseman's first hit in 11 at-bats following his return from a left wrist injury.

Skip Schumaker provided the visitors with a valuable insurance run in the top of the ninth, touching Alec Zumwalt for a one-out solo homer to left to make it a 6-4 contest. It was the outfielder's first of the year.

In the bottom of the ninth, Nashville mounted a rally against Falkenborg to make things interesting. Abad led off with a single but was erased by a Rottino fielder's choice. Thomas doubled to put runners on second and third with one out. Ozzie Chavez followed with a swinging strike out that was accompanied by a wild pitch, allowing Rottino to score from third to make it a one-run contest. Chavez was late running to first and was thrown out for the second out of the frame. Falkenborg followed with his game-ending strikeout of Nelson to secure his team-leading tenth save of the year.

Parisi (4-2) held Nashville to three runs (two earned) on three hits while walking two and striking out four batters in seven innings of work.

The teams continue the series with another 6 p.m. meeting on Tuesday night in a game that features an outstanding pitching matchup. Current PCL Pitcher-of-the-Week Yovani Gallardo (5-1, 2.22), the Milwaukee Brewers' top prospect, will toe the rubber for the Sounds to face Memphis right-hander Blake Hawksworth (2-5, 3.45), the 4th-best prospect of the St. Louis Cardinals.

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Pacific Coast League Stories from May 21, 2007


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