Sounds Lose Close One To Express, 4-3
Published on June 23, 2006 under Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Nashville Sounds News Release
ROUND ROCK, Texas - The Nashville Sounds came up short in another close road contest on Friday evening at The Dell Diamond, falling 4-3 to the host Round Rock Express in the third game of a five-game series.
With the loss, Nashville (40-33) dropped to just 2-15 on the year in one-run road decisions and lost by one run for the ninth time in their last 10 defeats away from Greer Stadium.
The Sounds grabbed a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning against Round Rock starter Chris Sampson. Dave Krynzel put the visitors on the board when he plated Tony Gwynn with a sacrifice fly. Brent Abernathy brought home the frame's second run with a two-our RBI single to right.
Round Rock evened the score in the third by touching Sounds starter Dennis Sarfate for a pair of home runs. Cody Ransom opened the frame with his sixth longball of the season, a blast to left, before Mike Rodriguez knotted the contest at 2-2 with a one-out solo jack to right, his fourth roundtripper. The two longballs in the inning matched the total number of homers allowed by Sarfate in his first 14 starts (73.2 IP).
Nashville retook a 3-2 lead in the top of the fourth on Jermaine Clark's sacrifice fly to center that scored Graham Koonce on a play in which he leveled Express catcher Humberto Quintero to reach the plate.
The seesaw battle continued in the fifth as the Express claimed their first lead of the night at 4-3 with a pair of runs courtesy of a one-out Joe McEwing single that brought home Charlton Jimerson and Ransom. Sarfate worked out of a bases-loaded jam later in the frame by striking out Royce Huffman to avoid further damage.
The Sounds failed to capitalize on its best scoring opportunity of the night when they left the bases loaded in the top of the eighth inning. Gwynn, who led Nashville with a 3-for-4 evening, and Kennard Bibbs opened the frame with consecutive singles off Express reliever Brandon Puffer before being sacrifice to second and third by Krynzel. After Koonce was intentionally walked to fill the bases with just one out, Puffer induced a foul pop-up from Abernathy and struck out Clark to escape the jam without damage and uphold the one-run lead.
Shortstop Ozzie Chavez went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts in his career Triple-A debut for the Sounds.
Sampson (8-1) picked up the win after allowing three runs (one earned) on four hits over five innings in his first start since returning from Houston. Travis Driskill earned his ninth save with a scoreless ninth inning.
Sarfate (6-3) allowed more than three runs for only the third time in his 15 starts this season and took the loss, snapping his personal four-start winning streak. He surrendered four scores on five hits in five frames of action, walking three batters while striking out six.
The teams meet again on Saturday evening at 7:05 p.m. Nashville right-hander Justin Lehr (1-2, 4.20) will take the hill to face Round Rock right-hander Jason Hirsh (8-2, 2.79).
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