PCL1 Nashville Sounds

Sounds End Road Trip With 6-5 Win In Fresno

Published on May 28, 2004 under Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Nashville Sounds News Release


FRESNO – The Nashville bats came alive at the right time on Thursday evening as the Sounds sent eight men to the plate and posted three runs on four hits in the top of the ninth inning en route to a 6-5 victory over the Fresno Grizzlies in the finale of a four-game series on Thursday evening at Grizzlies Stadium.

With the victory, Nashville (23-23) pulled back to .500 and gained a split of the four-game series. The second-place Sounds remain 3 ½ games behind division-leading Oklahoma in the PCL East.

Sounds second baseman Mike Moriarty led off the Nashville ninth with a bunt single to third against Dave Veres and was sacrificed to second by Shaun Skrehot. Pinch-hitter Chris Truby, making his first appearance since Friday in Sacramento, belted an RBI double off the top of the wall in left-center to plate Moriarty with the go-ahead run. Truby had missed the Sounds' previous five games due to a back injury.

Rich Thompson followed Truby's double with a run-scoring two-bagger of his own to plate Truby and give the Sounds a 5-3 lead. Tony Alvarez widened the gap with an RBI single up the middle to score Thompson and push the score to 6-3.

After the Sounds took their three-run lead in the top of the ninth, closer Mark Corey was summoned from the bullpen and retired the first two Grizzlies batters in order before allowing a pair of unearned runs as a result of his own fielding error before bearing down to retire Francisco Santos with the tying run in scoring position and notch his PCL-leading 11th save of the year.

Nashville jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning when Alvarez and Luke Allen ripped back-to-back one-out doubles against Fresno starter Noah Lowry.

Lowry balked home Andy Abad with two outs in the top of the second to double the Nashville lead to 2-0.

Alvarez – who finished 4-for-5 with a pair of runs scored and fell a triple short of the cycle – belted a solo homer in the top of the third against Lowry, his sixth home run of the season, to extend the lead to 3-0.

Nashville starter Sean Burnett was removed from the contest prior to the bottom of the third after tossing two scoreless innings, allowing one hit, and striking out one batter.

Jason Ellison put the Grizzlies on the board in the bottom of the third with an RBI single against Sounds reliever Frank Brooks.

Fresno tied the game on Jamie Athas' two-run, two-out single to right off Nashville reliever Jason Boyd in the bottom of the sixth inning, giving the recently-added Sounds hurler a blown save in his second appearance with the club. The runs were charged to Hector Almonte, who opened the inning by allowing a pair of hits and recording only one out before being replaced by Boyd.

Boyd (1-0) picked up the victory for Nashville after tossing 2 1/3 scoreless innings, while Veres (0-1) took the loss after giving up the three-spot in the ninth.

The Sounds return to Nashville on Friday to begin an eight-game homestand with the 7 p.m. opener of a four-game series against the Colorado Springs Sky Sox. The series will be the clubs' third meeting of the season and second in Music City. Colorado Springs currently leads the season series, 4-3. The Sky Sox opened the campaign at Greer Stadium and took three of four games.

Top prospect John VanBenschoten (0-6, 5.07) toes the rubber for the Sounds in the Friday series opener. He is scheduled to face Sky Sox right-hander Travis Driskill (3-3, 5.02).

Check out the Nashville Sounds Statistics

Share: Facebook | Twitter/X | LinkedIn | Reddit | Email



Pacific Coast League Stories from May 28, 2004


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central