PCL1 Nashville Sounds

Sounds Open Homestand with 5-3 Loss

May 7, 2013 - Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Nashville Sounds News Release


NASHVILLE, Tenn. - The Nashville Sounds began their homestand with a 5-3 loss to the Fresno Grizzlies on Tuesday evening at Greer Stadium in the opener of a four-game series.

The defeat was the tenth in the last 11 games for Nashville (8-22), which dropped a series opener at home for the first time all season. The Sounds won their previous four openers.

Grizzlies starter Shane Loux (3-1) kept the Nashville offense in check during a quality start victory. The right-hander allowed one run on three hits over six innings.

Fresno took control early, erupting for five two-out runs in the top of the second inning to grab a 5-0 lead against Sounds starter Zach Kroenke.

The Grizzlies loaded the bases with no outs on a pair of singles and a walk off the left-hander. Kroenke recovered to retire the next two hitters on a flyout and strikeout before third baseman Juan Perez worked an eight-pitch at-bat into a broken-bat, two-run single to shallow left that put the visitors on the board. Gary Brown doubled the Fresno lead to 4-0 when he followed with a two-run double down the left field line and Roger Kieschnick (3-for-3) capped off the five-run rally with a run-scoring two-bagger to right that skidded just inside the first base bag.

Kroenke (0-5) suffered his fifth loss in six starts for Nashville after giving up five runs on six hits in five innings of work, his longest outing of the year.

Nashville missed a chance to get on the board in the home half of the third. Kroenke led off with a single and moved to second when shortstop Juan Ciriaco mishandled Josh Prince's grounder. Scooter Gennett followed with a single up the middle to extend his PCL-leading on-base streak to 25 games. Kroenke attempted to score from second on the play but was thrown out at the plate by Brown from center field.

The Sounds finally broke through in the fourth when Hunter Morris singled with one out and later scored on a Dayton Buller groundout.

Third baseman Stephen Parker (2-for-3) extended his season-best hitting streak to 10 games with a leadoff single in the seventh. After Buller followed with a single of his own, the Sounds stranded a pair of baserunners in scoring position in the frame, as pinch-hitter Cole Garner and Prince fanned in succession against Fresno reliever Steve Edlefsen.

Nashville didn't go down without a fight in the ninth, plating a pair of runs and bringing the potential tying run to the plate against the Grizzlies' bullpen.

With one out, Parker singled and Buller drew a walk from Ramon Ramirez to put a pair of runners on board for Blake Davis, who delivered an RBI single to right to make it a 5-2 game. Kieschnick overran the ball on the play, allowing the runners to advance to second and third with one out.

Fresno skipper Bob Mariano summoned Heath Hembree from the bullpen to face pinch-hitter Sean Halton, who lifted a sacrifice fly to center to plate Buller to draw the Sounds within 5-3. Hembree then retired Prince on a game-ending groundout to nail down his second save of the year.

The teams continue the series on Wednesday morning with an 11:05 a.m. matinee. Right-hander R.J. Seidel will make his Triple-A debut with a start for the Sounds. Fresno will counter with southpaw Michael Kickham (0-3, 6.00).

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Pacific Coast League Stories from May 7, 2013


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