Royals Best Sounds In High-Scoring Contest
Published on August 10, 2008 under Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Nashville Sounds News Release
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - The Omaha Royals outlasted the Nashville Sounds in a high-scoring affair on Sunday evening at Greer Stadium, posting a 9-8 victory.
The Sounds (50-72) never led in the contest but rallied to tie the game twice before finishing a run short at the conclusion.
Damon Hollins gave the visitors a 3-0 lead in the top of the first inning when he drove a 1-2, two-out Chris Narveson offering over the 24-foot high batter's eye in center field for his 12th home run of the year. Kila Ka'aihue, who drew a two-out walk, and Ryan Shealy, who followed with a single, scored on the homer, which came after Hollins fouled off three straight two-strike pitches.
Omaha added a run in the second when Matt Tupman led off with a double to right-center and later scored on Chris Lubanski's one-out RBI single up the middle. Narveson escaped further damage later in the frame, working out of a one-out, bases-loaded jam by fanning Ka'aihue and Shealy to end the inning.
The Sounds got on the board in the home half of the third when Tony Gwynn legged out a one-out triple then scored when Jay Gibbons, who paced Nashville with three hits on the evening, followed with a fly ball to left that was lost in the sky by Lubanski and resulted in an RBI double, making it a 4-1 contest.
Nashville tied the game at 4-4 with a three-run fourth against Omaha starter and former Sound Jose Capellan. Shortstop Chris Woodward got things started when his two-out RBI single through the left side of the infield plated Adam Heether, who had walked then stole second. After Hernan Iribarren's ground-rule double to right-center put runners on second and third, Gwynn came through with a game-tying two-run single to center.
The Royals pulled back ahead in the fifth when they manufactured a run against Narveson. Hollins led off with a double off the left field wall then advanced the next two bases on consecutive flyouts by Brian Buchanan and Tupman, whose sacrifice fly gave the visitors a 5-4 lead.
Adam Heether tied the game in the bottom of the frame when he led off with a solo homer to left-center off Capellan, his ninth roundtripper of the year.
Sounds reliever Randy Choate ran into control trouble in the top of the seventh as Omaha took its third lead of the evening with a four-run rally. After Gookie Dawkins and Pena opened the inning with consecutive singles, the left-hander loaded the bases with a one-out walk to Shealy before forcing home the go-ahead run with a walk to Hollins, the slugger's third free pass of the evening. Choate's inaccuracy continued as Buchanan followed by drawing an RBI walk to extend the lead to 7-5. Following a Tupman flyout, Josh Labandeira ripped a two-run double down the right field line to wrap up the scoring.
Nashville responded immediately, pulling back within a run in the bottom of the frame with three two-out runs off Royals reliever Brad Salmon. Laynce Nix delivered a two-out RBI single to center that scored Gibbons, who hit his second double of the evening earlier in the frame. After a walk to Heether, J.R. Hopf followed with an infield single to shortstop that was accompanied by an errant throw by Dawkins, allowing Nix and Heether to score in unearned fashion to make it a 9-8 game.
The Sounds would get no closer, however, as Jeff Fulchino slammed the door for the Royals by working two hitless innings to notch his fifth save of the year.
Salmon (8-6) picked up the win despite allowing three runs (one earned) on three hits in 1 2/3 innings. Choate (0-2) took the loss after giving up four runs in his 1 1/3 innings of work.
Neither starter factored into the decision. Narveson allowed five runs on five hits while striking out a season-high nine batters in 5 2/3 innings, while Capellan gave up five runs on eight hits over 5 1/3 frames of action.
The teams wrap up the series with a 6:00 p.m. finale on Monday evening. Right-hander Nic Ungs (1-2, 12.86) will make his first start since rejoining the Sounds and face rehabbing Omaha southpaw Jimmy Gobble (0-0, 3.86).
Pacific Coast League Stories from August 10, 2008
- Sidewinders Slip Past Tacoma 4-3 - Tucson Sidewinders
- Royals Best Sounds In High-Scoring Contest - Nashville Sounds
- Portland overcomes tough loss in opener, prevails 3-2 in nightcap - Portland Beavers
- Z's blank Redbirds - New Orleans Baby Cakes
- Zephyrs blank 'Birds - Memphis Redbirds
- Royals Game Notes - Omaha Storm Chasers
- Oklahoma RedHawks Game Notes - Oklahoma City Comets
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