Sounds Doubled Up By Isotopes, 12-6
April 21, 2008 - Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Nashville Sounds News Release
ALBUQUERQUE - The Nashville Sounds' struggles continued on Monday evening at Isotopes Park as they were doubled up by Albuquerque, 12-6.
With the club's fourth straight loss, the Sounds fell to 3-15 on the year.
Nashville led through 5 ½ innings of play before the Isotopes rallied to plate nine runs against the Sounds' bullpen. Every starting Albuquerque position player had at least one hit and either scored a run or plate one in the winning effort.
Nashville pitchers have surrendered a double-digit run total in three consecutive games for the first time in 10 years, allowing 15, 11, and 10 to the Isotopes over the past three days.
The Sounds grabbed a 3-0 lead in the top of the first inning with a two-out rally against Isotopes starter Bobby Keppel. With two down, Joe Dillon singled in his first at-bat of the year for Nashville and moved to second when Brad Nelson drew a walk. Laynce Nix followed with an RBI single to left to plate Dillon with the contest's first run.
Russell Branyan added a two-run double to center to clear the bases and up the lead to three. The two-bagger extended the veteran's hitting streak to eight games, matching the longest by a Sound all season.
Former MTSU standout Brett Carroll, who scored four runs on the evening, continued his solid series against Nashville in the second when he put the home club on the board in the bottom of the second inning with a two-out solo homer to deep left field off Sounds starter Chris Narveson. The blast was Carroll's fifth of the year.
Nelson got the run back for Nashville in the third when he slugged his team-leading fourth longball of the season, a two-out bomb to right off Keppel.
A pair of two-out walks came back to haunt Narveson in the fourth as the Isotopes pulled within a run at 4-3. After Tagg Bozied and Carroll reached on the free passes, John Baker and ex-Sound Chris Barnwell rapped consecutive RBI singles.
Narveson, who took a no-decision, left in line for his first victory of the year after he worked five innings and allowed three runs on eight hits.
Following the Nelson homer, Keppel (3-1), who picked up the win, settled down to retire 10 of his final 11 hitters before being lifted for a pinch-hitter in the sixth.
Albuquerque grabbed a 7-4 lead in the bottom of the sixth inning by greeting Sounds reliever Jason Shiell with a four-run outburst.
After the Isotopes loaded the bases on a pair of singles and a walk, Shiell struck out pinch-hitter Dallas McPherson before giving up three straight run-scoring hits. Jai Miller knotted the contest at 4-4 when his RBI single to center plated Carroll. Former Sound Andrew Beattie followed with a two-run single to left to put the home club on top for the first time, 6-4. PCL veteran John Gall finished the rally with an RBI single to center that scored Miller.
Nashville center fielder Tony Gwynn prevented further damage in the frame by throwing out Beattie at the plate to conclude the play.
Shiell (0-2) took the loss after surrendering four runs in his lone inning of action and being charged with a blown save.
The Sounds pulled back within a run in the top of the seventh against the Albuquerque bullpen. Catcher Vinny Rottino led off with a double off Chris Mobley and later scored on pinch-hitter Adam Heether's RBI single to right, reducing the lead to 7-5. After Hernan Iribarren singled to put two on, the Isotopes made a pitching change and Gwynn greeted Brandon Villafuerte with a single to right that brought in Heether and made it a one-run contest.
With the tying run on third and only one out, Nashville was unable to do any further damage as Villafuerte recovered to strike out Dillon and induce an inning-ending flyout from Nelson to escape the jam.
The Isotopes put the game on ice with a five-run eighth inning against Sounds reliever Melqui Torres, bringing the scored to its final 12-6. The frame was highlighted by third baseman Jason Wood's three-run homer, his first roundtripper of the year.
Joe Nelson worked the final two innings in scoreless fashion for Albuquerque to notch his PCL-leading eighth save of the year.
The Sounds will look to avoid a sweep when the teams wrap up the series with a 1:05 p.m. CT matinee on Tuesday afternoon. Right-hander Mark DiFelice, who opened the year on the disabled list while recovering from off-season knee surgery, will be activated to make his first start of the year for the Sounds. Albuquerque right-hander Gaby Hernandez (1-2, 5.71) will provide the opposition.
Pacific Coast League Stories from April 21, 2008
- Colorado Springs vs. Tacoma Rainiers Game Postponed - Colorado Springs Sky Sox
- Sounds Doubled Up By Isotopes, 12-6 - Nashville Sounds
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- Kennard Assigned To Arkansas, Duff Joins Bees - Salt Lake Bees
- Gall Grabs PCL Player Of The Week Honors - Albuquerque Isotopes
- Oklahoma RedHawks Game Notes- April 21, 2008 - Oklahoma City Comets
- Royals Game Notes- 4/21 - Omaha Storm Chasers
- Angels Recall Morales, Option Bulger to Salt Lake - Salt Lake Bees
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