PCL1 Nashville Sounds

RedHawks Come Back To Edge Sounds, 3-2

Published on August 24, 2007 under Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Nashville Sounds News Release


NASHVILLE, Tenn. - The Oklahoma RedHawks edged the Nashville Sounds by a 3-2 count on Friday evening at Greer Stadium.

Despite the loss, the magic number for Nashville (81-52) to clinch their third consecutive division title dropped to two as second-place Iowa lost to New Orleans. Nashville's lead remains a season-best 8 1/2 games over the Cubs.

The game was the Sounds' 46th one-run contest of the season, which ties for the highest total in the Pacific Coast League.

Nashville took a 1-0 lead in the third inning when Chris Barnwell led off with a double and scored on an Ozzie Chavez RBI single. The Sounds doubled the advantage an inning later when Vinny Rottino opened the frame with a double and later came home on a Mike Rivera sacrifice fly.

Carlos Villanueva turned in a solid start for the Sounds, allowing only one hit while striking out four batters over four scoreless frames. He threw 53 pitches, 34 for strikes.

Zach Jackson took over on the Nashville hill in the fifth and Oklahoma took immediate advantage. Four of the first five batters in the frame singled to produce the visitors' first run and leave the bases loaded with one out. Jackson worked out of the jam with no further damage, however, by catching Tug Hulett looking at strike three then picking Freddy Guzman off first.

The RedHawks took a 3-2 lead with a pair of runs against Jackson in the top of the seventh. After Chris Stewart singled with one out, Guzman followed with an RBI triple to the wall in left-center to knot the contest. The speedy outfielder put the visitors in front when he scored on a groundout later in the inning.

Nashville had a couple of chances to knot the score late in the contest. The home team loaded the bases with two outs in the bottom of the seventh but Oklahoma starter Derek Lee induced an inning-ending flyout from Tony Gwynn.

The Sounds threatened again in the eighth, putting a runner on third with only one out after Vinny Rottino singled, stole second, and moved to third on a wild pitch by former Nashville hurler Luther Hackman. The right-hander escaped the jam when he induced a lineout double play off the bat of Rivera.

Outfielder Laynce Nix finished 0-for-3 on the evening to snap his longest hitting streak of the year at 12 games.

Lee (1-2) earned his first victory of the season after allowing two runs on eight hits over seven innings of work. Franklyn German struck out the side in the bottom of the ninth to notch his sixth save of the year.

Jackson (10-10) absorbed the loss for Nashville after allowing all three RedHawks runs on 11 hits over his five relief innings behind Villanueva.

The teams continue the series with a 6 p.m. doubleheader on Saturday evening that will consist of a pair of seven-inning games. The twinbill was necessitated by an April 11 rainout.

Left-hander Adam Pettyjohn (11-3, 3.69) will man the bump for the Sounds in the opener to face Oklahoma right-hander Chris Baker (4-3, 5.71). Right-hander Steve Bray (5-1, 1.57) will make a spot start for Nashville in the nightcap and oppose RedHawks southpaw A.J. Murray (3-2, 3.25).

Check out the Nashville Sounds Statistics

Share: Facebook | Twitter/X | LinkedIn | Reddit | Email



Pacific Coast League Stories from August 24, 2007


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central