PCL1 Nashville Sounds

RedHawks Sweep Sounds With 8-3 Win

Published on June 12, 2008 under Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Nashville Sounds News Release


OKLAHOMA CITY - Former Sound Nelson Cruz homered and drove in four runs to lead the Oklahoma RedHawks to an 8-3 victory over Nashville on Thursday evening at AT&T Bricktown Ballpark, completing a four-game sweep of the Sounds.

With the loss, Nashville fell to 0-8 against the RedHawks on the year and suffered its fifth straight loss overall.

The scoring started early as the clubs exchanged first-inning runs. Callix Crabbe opened the game with a double for the Sounds and came all the way around to score on the play on a throwing error by Oklahoma left fielder John Mayberry. The RedHawks began the bottom of the frame with three straight singles off Ben Howard, the last of which by Cruz tied the contest at 1-1.

Cruz struck again in the third, belting a three-run homer to right-center off Howard to give Oklahoma a 4-1 lead. The slugger's PCL-leading 20th roundtripper of the year plated Jason Ellison and Joaquin Arias, who had opened the frame with consecutive singles.

The Sounds pulled back within a run at 4-3 in the top of the fourth when catcher Vinny Rottino singled to extend his hitting streak to 21 games then scored when Brendan Katin blasted his tenth home run of the year, a well-struck two-run shot to left off Oklahoma starter Steve Rowe.

Nashville didn't record a hit over the final 4 1/3 frames of action against Oklahoma pitching, including four combined innings of hitless relief from Paul Komentani, Kazuo Fukumori, and Bill White.

Oklahoma first baseman Chris Davis extended the home team's lead to 5-3 in the seventh with a leadoff solo homer to right-center off Jason Shiell, his fourth roundtripper of the year and second of the series. The RedHawks added two unearned runs later in the frame on left fielder Brendan Katin's two-out fielding error on a ball hit by Travis Metcalf.

The RedHawks finished off the evening's scoring in the eighth with a two-out rally against Sounds reliever Luis Pena. With two down, Davis ripped a double to right and scored when Mayberry followed with an RBI single.

Rowe (2-2) picked up the win after working five innings and allowing three runs on nine hits for the RedHawks.

Howard (2-2) was saddled with the loss after giving up four runs on a Sounds season-high 13 hits over his 5 2/3 innings of work.

The Sounds travel to Des Moines, Iowa after the game and will conclude their trip with a five-game, four-day series against the division-rival Iowa Cubs.

Right-hander Richie Gardner (5-2, 3.98) will man the bump for Nashville in Friday's 7:05 p.m. series opener. Iowa will counter with left-hander J.R. Mathes (3-3, 2.76).

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Pacific Coast League Stories from June 12, 2008


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