PCL1 Nashville Sounds

Sounds Snap Skid, Pummel Redbirds 11-4

Published on May 24, 2008 under Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Nashville Sounds News Release


MEMPHIS - Enough was enough.

After four straight losses to the Memphis Redbirds, the Nashville Sounds pounded out 11 runs and tied a season-high with 18 hits to thump their division foes 11-4 on a beautiful Saturday night at AutoZone Park.

The Sounds also knocked a season-high five doubles to back starter Sam Narron (2-0), who threw his second consecutive quality start for Nashville since being called up from Double-A Huntsville. Narron threw seven innings and only gave up three runs to notch his ninth quality start in 10 outings this season.

Nashville recorded four of their runs off Memphis starter Jaime Garcia (1-2), who has struggled against Sounds hitters. His first loss of the season came on May 19 when he gave up five runs in five innings at Greer Stadium in Nashville.

The Sounds got to Garcia early with three runs in the first frame off three opposite-field hits. Laynce Nix got things started with a two-out single to left, and Brad Nelson followed with a walk. Eric Munson then continued his timely hitting with a two-run double to left-center field that scored Nix and Nelson. Munson has only six hits in his last 40 at-bats, but four of them have given the Sounds the lead in four separate games. Vinny Rottino added a run-scoring double of his own down the right field line that squeezed by Memphis first baseman Josh Phelps and brought Munson around to score.

Memphis manufactured its first run of the game with the help of leadoff man Brian Barden. After leading off with a home run on Thursday and a single on Friday, Barden knocked a double off the left field wall to start things off on Saturday. Jarrett Hoffpauir laid down a sacrifice bunt to move him to third, and Nick Stavinoha drove him in when he grounded out to first base.

Garcia's troubles with the Nashville lineup continued in the top of the second inning when Adam Heether led off with a walk and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt from Narron. Callix Crabbe then singled up the middle, and Heether beat a strong throw from Colby Rasmus in center field to extend the Sounds lead back to three. After starting 1-for-12 upon re-joining the Sounds, Crabbe is now 7-for-16 in his last four games.

Memphis responded with another run in the bottom of the fourth inning after Cody Haerther knocked a two-out double off the left field wall to score D'Angelo Jimenez, who had reached on a bunt single in the previous at-bat. After a walk drawn by Rasmus, Memphis nearly scored again, but Haerther was gunned down at home by Crabbe after Gabe Johnson singled to left field. The throw might have been a step late, but Sounds catcher Rottino blocked Haerther at the plate and made the tag.

The teams exchanged scoreless innings until the top of the seventh when Nashville put four more on the board. Steve Sollmann started the rally with a bloop single to right, and Nix followed with a line-drive double down the right field line off Memphis reliever Hugo Castellanos. Nelson walked to load the bases for Munson who drew a walk on five pitches to force home Sollmann from third.

Rottino followed with a soft liner to left field that scored Nix and kept the bases loaded for Brendan Katin, who nearly emptied them. He crushed a first-pitch fastball into the right field corner to bring Nix and Nelson around to score and move Rottino to third. The Redbirds brought in Matt Scherer to try to stop the bleeding after Castellanos failed to record a single out, and the big right-hander retired Heether, Narron, and Crabbe in order to end the inning.

Castellanos pitched one-plus inning and gave up four runs off six hits and two walks to follow Garcia, who gave up four runs over five innings of work. Matt Scherer was the lone Redbirds pitcher to not give up a run after he pitched two scoreless innings of relief.

Joe Mather, who came in to play right field during the seventh inning, belted a solo shot in the bottom half of the seventh inning to left-center. The longball was his 11th on the year and his ninth in the month of May, but his RBI total has only reached 19 because eight of his 11 homers have been of the solo variety.

Memphis plated another run in the bottom of the eighth to bring the deficit to four when Hoffpauir led off with double and moved to third base on a wild pitch from Nashville reliever Steve Bray. Hoffpauir later scored on a groundout from Jeff Stavinoha.

Unfortunately for Memphis reliever Jason Motte, the Sounds did not mail in the ninth inning just because they had the lead. The Sounds plated two more runs when pinch-hitter Mel Stocker knocked a single to left field off Motte with the bases loaded after singles from Rottino and Katin and a walk to Heether. After consecutive pop outs from Crabbe and Sollmann, Nix hit another line-drive double down the right field line to score Heether from second. Nix was 4-for-6 on the night with an RBI and two runs scored to raise his average above .300 for the first time since May 1st.

Bray pitched one inning and gave up one run, and Mitch Stetter pitched a scoreless ninth inning to close the game for the Sounds.

The I-40 rivalry continues tomorrow night at 6:35 p.m. at AutoZone Park for the seventh straight contest between the two teams. Lefty Lindsay Gulin (1-4, 3.06) will toe the rubber for Nashville against right-hander Anthony Reyes (1-0, 2.31) for Memphis.

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Pacific Coast League Stories from May 24, 2008


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