Sounds Have A 'Blast' Against RedHawks; Magic Number At 3
Published on August 23, 2003 under Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Nashville Sounds News Release
NASHVILLE â The Nashville Sounds took the wind out of the sails of their PCL East competitors on Saturday evening at Greer Stadium, scoring a pair of victories over the Oklahoma RedHawks to increase their lead in the division to 6 ½ games and drop their magic number to clinch to three.
Nashville's wins plus a pair of New Orleans losses in Memphis over the last two days have enabled the Sounds to pull within striking distance of notching their first division crown since 1993 and first post-season appearance since the 1994 campaign. The earliest the Sounds could clinch the PCL East Division would be on Monday evening.
A total of 22,273 fans watched the pair of games over the two-day stretch to push the Sounds' seasonal attendance total to its highest mark in 10 years. Nashville has drawn 366,060 fans to 62 openings in 2003.
The 8-5 and 10-4 wins gave the Sounds a 3-2 series victory against the RedHawks.
In the seven-inning nightcap, the Nashville offense jumped on RedHawks starter Ryan Snare early. Alvarez led off the game by reaching via catcher's interference. After a Bobby Hill sacrifice and a steal of third, Dave Doster plated Alvarez with a sacrifice fly to center. Adam Hyzdu followed with a solo shot to left, his fifth roundtripper of the year.
The Sounds were clinging to a 4-3 lead in the last of the fifth when Hyzdu and the offense went to work again. Hydzu, who finished the night 3-for-4 with three runs and three RBI, hit a two-run shot â his second longball of the game â with Doster scoring in front of him. Up 7-4 one inning later, Nashville would add the final three runs of the game via four singles.
Nashville starter Dave Williams (6-4) pitched five innings, allowing three runs while fanning six, to get the win. Snare (3-5) was shellacked in his 4 2/3 innings of work, surrendering seven of the runs.
Third baseman Mike Gulan made his presence felt in his final game of the season for Nashville, notching a pair of doubles during a 3-for-3 effort in the nightcap. The 32-year-old is returning to Ohio tomorrow to complete his marketing degree at Kent State University.
The Sounds did all of their damage with the longball in the evening's opening contest, which was the completion of Friday's game that was suspended in the middle of the third inning due to excessive rain and winds.
Newly-acquired Jorge Toca â who went 3-for-3 with two RBI and missed the cycle by a triple in his Pirates organization debut â belted a two-run blast in the fourth inning, erasing the 1-0 lead Oklahoma had mounted courtesy of a Ryan Christenson solo homer before the suspension of play late Friday night.
Bobby Hill imitated Toca, hitting his first Sounds home run (also a two-run shot), in the bottom of the seventh. Tony Alvarez put the game out of reach, launching Nashville's second grand slam of the season (John Barnes had the first) over the wall in center in the last of eighth against RedHawks reliever Tom Graham to give the Sounds an 8-1 cushion.
Oklahoma mounted a rally against Nashville's bullpen in the ninth by plating four runs, three on a one-out Jermaine Clark homer off Jim Mann, the third reliever used in the final frame. Mann recorded the next two batters to finish the contest.
Frank Brooks (2-0), who took over for starter Matt Guerrier following the suspension of play, earned the win by tossing four scoreless innings. RedHawks reliever Dan Murray (5-9) suffered the defeat after surrendering four runs on six hits over his five frames of work.
The Sounds continue their final homestand of the 2003 regular season by welcoming the division-rival New Orleans Zephyrs to town on Sunday for a crucial five-game series. Nashville leads the season series between the clubs by a 7-4 margin.
Right-hander Salomon Torres (NR), who is currently on the Pittsburgh Pirates ' 15-day disabled list due to a strained right hamstring, will make a rehabilitation start for the Sounds in the 6 p.m. series opener. New Orleans will counter with right-hander Bob Scanlan (1-7, 3.83).
Pacific Coast League Stories from August 23, 2003
- Still in Pennant Chase, Beavers Conclude Home Season with Five-Game Series against Tacoma - Portland Beavers
- Sounds Have A 'Blast' Against RedHawks; Magic Number At 3 - Nashville Sounds
- Sox Fall One Back in Pennant Race - Colorado Springs Sky Sox
- Express can't break through versus Drillers - Round Rock Express
- Bynum Masterful as Beavers Shutout Trappers - Edmonton Trappers
- Sidewinders Hold on for Win in Fresno - Tucson Sidewinders
- Bynum Shuts Out Trappers - Portland Beavers
- River Cats Take 11th Straight at Home - Sacramento River Cats
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