Sounds Lose 12-Inning Marathon, 10-9
Published on July 25, 2008 under Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Nashville Sounds News Release
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Nineteen runs, two grand slams, and 12 innings later, the Tacoma Rainiers finally outlasted the Nashville Sounds, 10-9, on Friday night at Greer Stadium in the finale of a four-game series.
The Rainiers finally broke through in the top of the 12th inning when Matt Tuiasosopo belted a two-run home run, his sixth of the year, over the batter's eye in center field off Erasmo Ramirez to give the visitors the lead. The Sounds scored a run in the bottom of the inning to cut the lead to one but were unable to even the score.
The loss dropped the Sounds record to 0-4 in extra-inning games at Greer Stadium and gave them their eighth loss in the last 10 games. The marathon game lasted four hours and nine minutes and included a combined 20 position players and 10 pitchers for both teams.
After battling back from a first-inning grand slam to take an 8-4 lead, Nashville closer Luis Pena blew his fourth save of the season when he allowed four runs in the ninth inning off three hits and three walks. He walked in two of the runs before giving up a two-run single to Rob Johnson that evened up the score at eight.
Nashville starter Sam Narron got off to a rough start in the top of the first inning when he gave up a grand slam to former Sound Craig Wilson to center field on a 1-1 pitch. The longball was Wilson's fourth of the year for Tacoma and marked the first grand slam against the Sounds since Ronnie Prettyman hit one for Tacoma on August 5, 2007.
The Sounds responded in the bottom half of the inning when Brad Nelson knocked a two-run double to cut the Rainiers' lead to two. The double scored Hernan Iribarren from second base and Dillon from first and was Nelson's fourth two-bagger of the series.
Both pitchers settled down after the first inning and kept the teams off the scoreboard until the bottom of the eighth, when the Sounds posted a six-spot on the Rainiers. After a walk drawn by Nelson and a single from Laynce Nix, Vinny Rottino knocked an RBI double off Tacoma reliever Jared Wells to score Nelson from second. Adam Heether was intentionally walked to load the bases before Wells walked Chris Woodward on four pitches to bring in the tying run.
Corporan then crushed an 0-2 pitch over the right field wall to give the Sounds the lead and their first grand slam since Nelson's on May 25. The longball was Corporan's second of the year for the Sounds and would have been his second game-winning homer since joining Nashville on June 30 had Pena held the lead.
The Rainiers then posted four runs in the top of the ninth off Pena to even the score and eventually put the game into extra innings. Tuiasosopo's homer in the 12th gave Tacoma its first extra-inning win this season.
Ryan Rowland-Smith did not factor in his first start for the Rainiers after recently being demoted by the Seattle Mariners. He pitched 5 2/3 innings and gave up two earned runs while striking out five batters on 91 pitches. After giving up two runs in the first inning, he only gave up one hit over the next 4 2/3 innings.
Mumba Rivera pitched 1 1/3 innings and kept the Sounds off the board before Wells blew the save by allowing six runs in the eighth inning. Randy Messenger (5-4) contributed three scoreless innings to pick up the win, and Jon Huber picked up the save despite allowing an RBI-single from Iribarren.
Narron pitched 5 2/3 innings and gave up three earned runs off nine hits but did not factor in the decision. Joe Bateman pitched 2 1/3 innings of scoreless relief for the Sounds before turning it over to Pena who blew his second save in his last five appearances. Mitch Stetter followed up with two scoreless innings, and Ramirez (1-4) gave up the two-run home run by Tuiasosopo in the 12th to take the loss.
The Sounds will continue their homestand when they open a four-game series with the Portland Beavers at 6:00 p.m. on Saturday at Greer Stadium. Lefty Chris Narveson (3-12, 5.40) will take the mound for the Sounds against right-hander Chad Reineke (5-9, 4.41) for the Beavers.
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