PCL1 Nashville Sounds

Sounds Blank River Cats Again, 2-0

Published on July 31, 2007 under Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Nashville Sounds News Release


NASHVILLE, Tenn. - The Nashville Sounds closed out their homestand with their second straight shutout victory over visiting Sacramento, blanking the River Cats in a 2-0 contest on Tuesday evening at Greer Stadium.

Three Sounds hurlers combined on a two-hittter, which was the club's Pacific Coast League-leading eighth shutout of the season. Nashville (67-43) finished its homestand with a 5-3 record and earned a split of the four-game series with the River Cats.

Nashville starter Mark DiFelice (2-0) earned the win after he worked five hitless innings to open the contest before departing after throwing 72 pitches. His ERA as a starter dropped to 0.89 this season (4er/40.1ip) through seven starts between Nashville and Double-A Huntsville.

Including Tuesday's outing, DiFelice has worked 13 consecutive scoreless innings for the Sounds dating back to his start on July 20 at Iowa. He set a Huntsville franchise record with 36 consecutive scoreless frames for the Stars earlier this season in a separate streak.

Recently-acquired reliever Seth McClung followed on the hill and worked three scoreless innings, his longest outing of the year. The fireballer allowed two hits and struck out three batters.

Mitch Stetter came on to work a flawless ninth to notch his first save of the year. The left-hander became the ninth different Sounds hurler to earn a save in 2007.

Sounds catcher Mike Rivera broke a scoreless tie in the bottom of the fourth inning when he belted a mammoth two-out solo homer off the guitar-shaped scoreboard in left-center. The blast, which came against Sacramento starter Dan Meyer, was the backstop's 13th homer of the year. He received his third Copley guitar of the season after the game as a reward.

The Sounds added an insurance run in the bottom of the eighth inning against the River Cats bullpen. Tony Gwynn led off the frame with a single, moved to second on a throwing error on a pickoff attempt by Ron Flores, stole third, then scored in unearned fashion with two outs when Sacramento shortstop Gregorio Petit fielded Vinny Rottino's grounder cleanly but threw wide of first base for the visitors' second error of the inning.

Gwynn went 4-for-4 with a pair of stolen bases for the Sounds but left the contest early after suffering a leg cramp during a steal of third in the bottom of the eighth inning.

Meyer (6-2) absorbed a tough-luck loss for Sacramento after allowing one run on seven hits and striking out seven batters in his seven innings of action.

The Sounds head to the Pacific Northwest on Wednesday to open an eight-game road trip that includes stops in Portland, Oregon and Tacoma, Washington.

Right-hander Elmer Dessens (1-0, 1.54) makes his fourth rehab start for the Sounds in Wednesday's 9:05 p.m. CT series opener at PGE Park in Portland. He'll face Beavers right-hander Mike Thompson (3-9, 6.46).

Baseball returns to Greer Stadium on Friday, August 10, when the Sounds open another eight-game homestand.

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Pacific Coast League Stories from July 31, 2007


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