PCL1 Nashville Sounds

Sheets Dominates I-Cubs, Sounds Win 4-1

Published on April 11, 2006 under Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Nashville Sounds News Release


DES MOINES - Rehabbing right-hander Ben Sheets turned in a dominant performance, striking out nine batters while allowing only three singles over 5 2/3 scoreless innings, to lead the Nashville Sounds to a 4-1 victory over the Iowa Cubs on Tuesday afternoon at Principal Park.

The Brewers hurler made his second rehabilitation start, the first with Nashville, while recovering from a right posterior shoulder strain and threw 75 pitches, 52 for strikes, in likely his final tuneup before being activated by Milwaukee.

Outfielder Nelson Cruz was the offensive star, breaking out of an 0-for-12 slump with a 3-for-4 afternoon that included his first home run of the season.

The Sounds spotted Sheets a 3-0 lead before he even took the hill, scoring three first-inning runs off Cubs starter Jae-Kuk Ryu. Tony Gwynn opened the contest by drawing a walk, was sacrificed to second, and later scored on Cruz's two-out longball to center. Brad Nelson followed that shot with a double and scored on a passed ball/throwing error combo by Iowa catcher Geovany Soto to increase the Sounds' lead to 3-0.

Cruz doubled with one out in the third off Ryu and scored later in the frame on a two-out two-bagger by Jermaine Clark to finish off the Nashville scoring.

The Cubs broke up the shutout bid in the seventh with a two-out run against Sounds reliever Chris Demaria. With two down in the frame, Casey McGehee singled then scored on Augie Ojeda's double to right.

Sheets (1-0) earned the victory, his first at the Triple-A level since 2001, while Ryu (0-1) took a loss after surrendering four runs (three earned) on six hits in five innings of work. Mike Adams worked a scoreless ninth, allowing a pair of Iowa hits before escaping a jam, to earn his first save of the season.

The Sounds and I-Cubs continue their series with a 7:05 p.m. meeting on Wednesday evening at Principal Park. Right-hander Ben Hendrickson (0-0, 0.00), who tossed five hitless innings in his 2006 debut last week at Omaha, will make the start for Nashville. Iowa counters with veteran southpaw Les Walrond (1-0, 1.50).

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Pacific Coast League Stories from April 11, 2006


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