PCL1 Nashville Sounds

Sounds Drop Series Opener To Express, 8-2

Published on June 30, 2006 under Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Nashville Sounds News Release


NASHVILLE, Tenn. - The Nashville Sounds took a loss for the first time in a Faith Night game this season, falling 8-2 Friday night to the Round Rock Express in the opener of a four-game series in front of 7, 912 fans at Greer Stadium.

The Sounds (42-38) recorded seven hits on the night but catcher Mark Johnson supplied three of those knocks, going 3-for-3 at the dish. Johnson recorded two singles in his first two at-bats and then plated the team's only two runs in the bottom of the ninth with a one-out home run off Express reliever Travis Driskill. Coming into the game, Johnson had been hitless in his previous 15 at-bats.

The Sounds attempted to take the first lead of the game in the fourth inning with a little help from All-Star outfielder Nelson Cruz. The slugger hit a deep fly ball down the left field line that landed beyond the left field fence. At first glance, the ball looked to have wrapped around the foul pole for a home run and was initially ruled as a longball, but after a short deliberation by the umpires, the crew corrected their ruling to a foul ball to leave the game tied at zeroes.

The Express broke the scoreless deadlock in the top of the fifth. With Cody Ransom on third and Joe McEwing on first, Johnson let a Jared Fernandez knuckleball get away from him and roll towards the Sounds dugout. Ransom was able to cross home on the passed ball to give the visitors a 1-0 lead.

Round Rock doubled its lead in the visiting half of the sixth inning. With one out, first baseman Royce Huffman hit a solo home run just over the fence in left field. The longball, which came against Fernandez, was his ninth of the season.

The Sounds threatened in the following half inning. With the bases full and two outs, Vinny Rottino hit a hard line drive that deflected of the glove of Express starter Jason Hirsh and rolled to Ransom, the shortstop, who stepped on second for the final out of the inning.

Ransom increased the Round Rock lead to 4-0 in the top of the eighth when he hit his seventh home run of the year, scoring Humberto Quintero from second. The roundtripper came against Sounds reliever Allan Simpson.

The Express continued to add to their lead in the top of the ninth. With the bases loaded, Ransom (3-for-4) hit a bases-clearing double to the gap in left center, giving Round Rock an eight-run lead. With that hit, Ransom recorded his fifth RBI of the night. Wilton Chavez, who entered the game with a sparkling 0.73 ERA in the month of June, allowed the final three Round Rock runs in just two-thirds of an inning.

The Sounds added some offense of their own in the bottom of the ninth, courtesy of Johnson. With Dave Krynzel on the basepaths, Johnson hit his second home run of the season to bring the score to its final 8-2.

Hirsh (9-2) pulled into a tie for the Pacific Coast League lead by earning his ninth victory in the contest. The right-hander held the Sounds scoreless over six innings of work, striking out eight batters in the process.

Driskill worked the final three frames for the Express to notch his 11th save of the year.

Fernandez (3-2) took the loss for Nashville after allowing two runs (one earned) on eight Round Rock hits over his six innings of work.

The Sounds and the Express face off again on Saturday night at 6 p.m. Nashville will give southpaw Dana Eveland (3-3, 2.01) the starting nod. Left-hander Philip Barzilla (4-3, 4.18) will man the mound for Round Rock.

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Pacific Coast League Stories from June 30, 2006


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