PCL1 Nashville Sounds

Sounds' Skid Hits Four, Fielder Homers Twice In 10-5 Loss To Portland

Published on May 24, 2005 under Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Nashville Sounds News Release


PORTLAND – The Nashville Sounds lost their fourth straight game on Monday evening at PGE Park, falling 10-5 to the host Portland Beavers despite a two-homer night from Prince Fielder in the opener of a four-game series.

The skid is the longest of the season for Nashville (22-23), which fell below .500 for the first time this season.

The Beavers stifled every rally attempt that Nashville had to offer. In each inning in which the Sounds scored in the contest, Portland answered by plating runs of its own in the bottom of the frame.

The top of the Nashville batting order – Dave Krynzel, Rickie Weeks, and Fielder – drove in all five runs for the Sounds and combined for four extra-base hits on the evening. Fielder's two-homer night extended the Sounds' longest active hitting streak to six games.

Portland third baseman J.J. Furmaniak paced the Beavers' offense with a 5-for-5 evening. The five-hit effort was the first by an opponent against the Sounds since August 23, 2001, when Oklahoma's Bo Porter produced five knocks.

Nashville right-hander Justin Lehr, making his first start since August 2001, got off to a rough start as the Beavers touched him for a pair of runs in the bottom of the first inning.

Bobby Scales (2-for-3) and Furmaniak opened the frame with back-to-back singles before Ben Johnson walked to load the bases. John Knott followed with an RBI single to left to put Portland up 1-0. Two batters later, former Sound Adam Hyzdu plated the frame's second run with a sacrifice fly.

Portland doubled its advantage to 4-0 with a pair of third-inning runs against Lehr. Furmaniak led off with a single and Johnson followed with his fourth home run of the year, a two-run shot to left.

Fielder put Nashville on the board in the top of the fifth when he slugged his fourth home run of the season, a one-out solo shot to right off Beavers starter Marty McLeary.

The Beavers answered quickly, picking up a run in the bottom of the frame on Furmaniak's RBI single to extend the lead to 5-1.

Fielder delivered again for Nashville in the sixth, belting his second solo shot of the game. The one-out blast to left-center off McLeary, his fifth of the year, gave him his first and the Sounds' fourth multiple-homer game of the season.

Portland again answered Fielder's shot quickly, putting up two in the bottom of the sixth on Scales' two-run home run to left off Sounds reliever Andy Pratt to up the advantage to 7-2. The roundtripper was the outfielder's sixth of the year.

Nashville made a game of it in the seventh, sending eight batters to the plate and producing three two-out runs to pull within 7-5. With two down in the frame, Steve Scarborough singled and pinch-hitter Trent Durrington drew a walk to set the table for the potent top of the Sounds order. Krynzel delivered an RBI ground-rule double to right before Weeks followed with a two-run triple to dead center, his minor league-leading eighth three-bagger of the year.

Portland continued to have an answer for every Sounds rally, getting two runs back in the bottom of the frame against the Nashville bullpen using four walks and only one hit. After Clint Weibl walked the first two batters of the inning, Jesse Garcia produced a sacrifice fly and Furmaniak later notched an RBI infield single to stretch the lead back to 9-5.

The Beavers tacked on one more run in the ninth as a result of a Chris Barnwell throwing error while attempting to turn a double play.

Corey Hart continued his hot hitting for the Sounds, going 2-for-4 on the evening for his ninth multiple-hit effort of the season.

McLeary (3-2) picked up the win after allowing five runs on eight hits and fanning five over his 6 2/3 frames. Lehr (4-4) allowed five runs on eight hits over 3 2/3 innings and was saddled with the loss.

The teams meet again at 9:05 p.m. CT on Tuesday evening for the second game of the series. Sounds right-hander Jose Capellan (3-1, 4.35) is slated to take on Portland right-hander Justin Germano (1-5, 4.40).

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Pacific Coast League Stories from May 24, 2005


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