Sounds drop homestand finale, 6-4
July 3, 2006 - Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Nashville Sounds News Release
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - The Nashville Sounds took a loss in the finale of their eight-game homestand on Monday evening, falling 6-4 to the Round Rock Express in front of 9,963 fans at Greer Stadium.
With the loss, Nashville (43-40) dropped its second consecutive home series and finished with just two wins in eight games on the homestand, the Sounds' first with a losing record this season.
Round Rock (52-32) upped its PCL-leading record to a season-best 20 games over .500.
Sounds starter Dennis Sarfate (6-5) continued his recent struggles and took his third consecutive loss after giving up six runs (five earned) on 11 hits over four innings of work. The right-hander's ERA in his last three outings sits at 11.25 (15er/12.0ip).
The Nashville offense also continued its recent struggles, especially in the clutch. Sounds hitters combined for an 0-for-10 night with runners in scoring position, failing to cash in on several scoring opportunities in the late innings.
Round Rock plated two runs in each of the first two frames against Sarfate before shortstop Cody Ransom upped the lead to 5-0 in the third with a two-out solo homer to left, his eighth roundtripper of the season.
Express third baseman Joe McEwing, who paced Round Rock with a 4-for-5 evening, increased the visitors' lead to 6-0 with an RBI single in the fourth, Sarfate's final inning of work.
Following Sarfate's departure, a pair of Nashville relievers combined to hold the Express in check, allowing only one hit the rest of the way. Mike Meyers worked three hitless innings with five strikeouts and was followed by Wilton Chavez, who posted two scoreless frames.
Sounds third baseman Jermaine Clark (3-for-4, three runs scored) put the home team on the board in the bottom of the fourth with an opposite-field solo homer to right off Express starter Chris Sampson. The blast was the infielder's second of the year.
Clark scored the second Nashville run of the game in the sixth after singling with one out, moving to third on a Graham Koonce double, and scoring on Nelson Cruz's RBI groundout.
Nashville made it a 6-3 contest in the seventh when Dave Krynzel scored on a groundout from pinch-hitter Mike Rivera.
The Sounds put runners on second and third with none out in the eighth against Express reliever Mike Gallo but only plated one run in the frame on their third groundball RBI of the night as Clark raced home on a Brent Abernathy ball to second.
Sampson (10-1) became the Pacific Coast League's second double-digit winner this season by holding the Sounds to two runs on four hits over six innings of work.
Roberto Giron worked a scoreless ninth for the Express to pick up his ninth save of the year and second of the series.
The Sounds travel across the state to Memphis tomorrow to begin a three-game series against the division-rival Redbirds at AutoZone Park. Right-hander Justin Lehr (1-3, 3.89) will start the 6:40 p.m. opener for Nashville and face Memphis southpaw Chris Narveson (3-1, 2.57).
WINKELSAS HANGS âEM UP: Sounds reliever Joe Winkelsas announced his retirement prior to the game. The 32-year-old right-hander took a loss in his final Nashville appearance on Saturday evening after surrendering three runs in the ninth inning of a 3-2 defeat. Winkelsas opened the season at Double-A Huntsville before earning a late May promotion to Milwaukee, where he posted an 0-1 record and 7.71 ERA in seven relief outings. He went 1-3 with one save and a 5.06 ERA (6er/10.2ip) in six relief appearances for the Sounds, taking losses in three of his final four appearances.
Pacific Coast League Stories from July 3, 2006
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