Sounds Come Back, Take Opener From Redbirds
Published on June 30, 2005 under Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Nashville Sounds News Release
NASHVILLE - New Sounds outfielder Nelson Cruz belted an opposite-field two-run homer in the bottom of the seventh inning to propel Nashville to a 6-3 victory over the Memphis Redbirds on Thursday evening at Greer Stadium in the opener of a four-game series.
With the win, Nashville (44-37) increased its lead over the Redbirds to a season-high 3 ½ games in the PCL American Conference Northern Division. The victory was the Sounds' 12th this season in games that they trailed in the seventh inning or later.
Cruz, making his Nashville debut after being promoted from Double-A Huntsville on Wednesday, enjoyed a strong evening, going 2-for-4 with a pair of extra-base hits and three RBIs.
Memphis center fielder Skip Schumaker led off the game with his fifth home run of the season, a solo homer to left off Sounds starter Gary Glover. The Redbirds doubled the lead with an unearned run in the fourth when Scott Seabol scored on an RBI single from John Nelson.
Redbirds catcher Cody McKay slugged his first longball of the season in the top of the fifth off Glover to extend the visitors' lead to 3-0.
Nashville jumped on the board in the bottom of the fifth on back-to-back doubles by rehabbing Russell Branyan and new Sound Cruz, whose RBI two-bagger off Memphis starter Bill Pulsipher was his first knock in a Nashville uniform and made it a 3-1 contest.
The Sounds exploded for three runs off Pulsipher in the bottom of the seventh to claim a 4-3 lead. Third baseman Chris Barnwell pulled Nashville within a run at 3-2 with an RBI double into the left field corner that scored Corey Hart, whose inning-opening single extended his hitting streak to nine games. Cruz followed with his first home run in a Sounds uniform, an opposite-field two-run shot to right-center that propelled the Sounds into the lead. The roundtripper was the outfielder's 17th of the season, following a team-leading 16 with Double-A Huntsville.
Hart, who finished 2-for-4 to record his team-leading 26th multi-hit game of the year, padded the Sounds' lead with a one-out, two-run single in the bottom of the eighth that made it 6-3.
Nashville reliever Clint Weibl (1-2) earned his first victory of the season and it came against the team with which he spent parts of six seasons from 1998-2003. The right-hander tossed 1 1/3 scoreless innings. Pulsipher (2-3) took the loss after surrendering four runs over his seven frames of work.
Jose Capellan extended his scoreless innings streak as a reliever to 11 frames as he recorded his fourth save after closing the contest by recording the final four outs.
Sounds starter Gary Glover, who allowed two earned runs in six innings, hurled his third consecutive quality start but took his third straight no-decision.
The teams continue the series with a 7 p.m. meeting on Friday evening at Greer Stadium. Right-hander Ben Hendrickson (4-6, 4.17) takes the hill for Nashville to face Memphis right-hander Chris Gissell (6-5, 2.90). It will be Turn Back The Clock Day at Greer Stadium. Both teams will wear replica uniforms of those worn by baseball players from their respective cities during the late 1800s.
Pacific Coast League Stories from June 30, 2005
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- Oklahoma RedHawks game notes - Oklahoma City Comets
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