Sound offense shut down in Iowa
Published on July 18, 2008 under Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Nashville Sounds News Release
DES MOINES -- The Nashville Sounds offense could only muster one run on three hits against the Iowa Cubs in an 8-1 loss on Friday night in Des Moines in their first game back since the All-Star Break. It was a tale of two pitchers in Iowa as Cubs starter Mitch Atkins (2-0) pitched a stellar outing to pick up his second win with Iowa in as many starts after being promoted on July 11, from Double-A Tennessee. Atkins pitched seven innings and gave up only one earned run on two hits to earn his 10th win on the year, which leads the Cubs organization. While Atkins allowed only three baserunners in his seven innings of work, Sounds starter Richie Gardner was never able to settle into a similar groove. Gardner (6-3) allowed six earned runs off nine hits and four walks in just five innings of work to pick up his first loss since June 8. Tony Gwynn (2-for-3) was the only Sound who managed to figure out Atkins, posting a double and a triple and scoring the lone Sounds run. Gwynn recorded his first triple of the year in the first inning and scored on a groundout from Laynce Nix. Atkins helped his own cause in the bottom of the second when he singled in Josh Kroeger from third base to even the score for the Cubs. Kroeger started the inning with a walk off Gardner, and Bobby Scales followed with a single to right field. Both runners then moved up on a sacrifice bunt by Koyie Hill before Atkins knocked his first career Triple-A RBI. Three consecutive two-out doubles led to a two-run rally for the Cubs in the bottom of the third inning to give them the lead. Kroeger, Scales and Hill all notched line-drive two-baggers off Gardner, with Scales and Hill collecting RBIs. Another double for Iowa sparked a three-run rally in the bottom of the fifth inning to add to their lead. Jason Dubois started the inning with a single, followed by another walk from Kroeger and a single from Scales to load the bases. After a strikeout from Hill, Luis Figueroa stepped to the plate and cleared the bases with a three-run double to center field to conclude the scoring off Gardner. Erasmo Ramirez and Randy Choate both contributed scoreless innings of relief for the Sounds, but Joe Bateman gave up two more runs in the ninth inning off a home run from Felix Pie to center field. The longball was Pie's seventh of the year and scored Andres Blanco from first base after his leadoff walk. After a walk to Brendan Katin to lead off the second inning, Atkins retired 14 consecutive Sounds batters before giving up his second hit to Gwynn, who doubled to right but was stranded at second base in the seventh inning. Iowa reliever Jesse Estrada pitched a scoreless eighth inning before handing the ball over to Michael Wuertz, who gave up the only other Sounds hit on a two-out single from Nix before closing out the game. The teams continue the series tomorrow at 7:05 p.m. in Iowa. Southpaw Sam Narron (5-3, 4.43) will man the bump for the Sounds and face off against right-hander Justin Berg (4-5, 5.79) for the Cubs.
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