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PCL1 Nashville Sounds

Sounds Drop Road Trip Opener To Redbirds

August 31, 2007 - Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Nashville Sounds News Release


MEMPHIS - The Nashville Sounds dropped a 4-3 decision to the cross-state rival Memphis Redbirds on Friday evening at Auto Zone Park in the opener of a four-game series.

With the defeat, the Sounds (86-55) fell to just 13-23 in series openers this season. Ten of Nashville's last 13 losses have come by one run.

Catcher Mike Rivera gave the Sounds a 2-0 lead with a two-run homer to left-center off rehabbing Redbirds starter Mark Mulder in the top of the second inning. The blast was the backstop's 19th of the season.

Memphis rallied to tie the contest in the bottom of the fifth. Sounds starter Mark DiFelice retired the first 13 batters of the game in order before Joe Mather drew a one-out walk in the frame. Nick Stavinoha followed with a single to break up the right-hander's no-hitter. Brian Barden made it a 2-1 game when his sacrifice fly plated Mather with the Redbirds' first run of the evening.

After Danny Ardoin hit a ground-rule double and pinch-hitter Travis Hanson was hit by a pitch, Skip Schumaker evened the score with an RBI single to left. Sounds leftfielder Drew Anderson prevented Memphis from taking the lead when he threw out Ardoin at the plate to end the inning.

The Redbirds took their first lead of the night in the sixth by plating a pair of runs. Edgar Gonzalez singled with one out, stole second, and scored to give the home team a 3-2 lead on Tagg Bozied's single to left, which chased DiFelice. Alec Zumwalt took over on the Nashville hill and walked Mather before giving up a Stavinoha RBI single, making it a 4-2 contest.

The Sounds made things interesting in the ninth against Redbirds reliever Christopher Perez. After Jose Macias drew a four-pitch walk to open the inning, Ozzie Chavez plated him with a double to center to reduce the Nashville deficit to 4-3. Chavez went 3-for-4 in the contest to extend his season-best hitting streak to 11 games.

After Charles Thomas sacrificed Chavez to third with only one out in the frame, Perez recovered to strike out Callix Crabbe then induced a game-ending groundout from Chris Barnwell to preserve the victory and notch his eighth save of the year.

Mike Maroth (1-0) earned the win for Memphis after working 2 2/3 scoreless innings of relief behind Mulder. DiFelice (4-2) took the loss for the Sounds after giving up four runs on six hits in 5 1/3 frames of action.

Recently-added reliever Kenny Ray made his Nashville debut with a scoreless eighth inning.

The teams continue the series with a 6:10 p.m. meeting on Saturday evening. PCL Pitcher-of-the-Year R.A. Dickey (12-6, 3.80) will take the hill for Nashville to face Memphis right-hander Brad Thompson (0-0, 10.80).

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Pacific Coast League Stories from August 31, 2007


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