PCL1 Nashville Sounds

Sounds' Spirits Dampened In 9-4 Loss

Published on July 31, 2003 under Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Nashville Sounds News Release


NASHVILLE — A two-out eighth inning homer by Albuquerque's Abraham Nunez off Sounds reliever Frank Brooks and a big 11th inning rally doomed Nashville as the Sounds lost their second game in a row to the Isotopes, 9-4, on Wednesday in front of capacity crowd of 10,139 at Greer Stadium.

The three-hour, fifty-four minute game, which included a pair of rain delays, finished five hours and twenty-four minutes after the initial 7:00 p.m. start time.

Nashville (62-47) remains in the lead in the PCL East Division, but lost a game to New Orleans in the standings as the Zephyrs blanked Colorado Springs, 7-0, earlier in the evening.

Albuquerque's five-run 11th against Sounds reliever Mike Holtz started with a single by Nunez. He took second on a passed ball and scored on a double by Matt Treanor, opening the floodgates. Four runs and four hits later, reliever Justin Reid retired Nunez on a popup to end the inning.

The Sounds had chances in the both the last of the ninth and 10th innings. However, J.J. Davis and Blake Barthol ended the respective rallies by striking out with a runner at second base.

After the start of the game was delayed 68 minutes by rain, the Sounds jumped in front 4-0 on the Isotopes in the last of the third inning. The team batted around, highlighted by Tike Redman's RBI single, Mike Gulan's two-run single, and Dave Doster's RBI single.

Despite facing the Pacific Coast League's win leader, Nelson Figueroa, the Isotopes battled their way back to within one by the eighth, and their two rallies were aided by hit batters. With two outs in the fifth, Gerald Williams was awarded first after a questionable hit-by-pitch call. Matt Erickson took advantage with a two-run double. In the following frame, PCL home run leader Rob Stratton was plunked on the hand. He left the game at the conclusion of the inning after scoring a run on Treanor's two-out RBI single and was taken to a local hospital for precautionary X-rays.

Figueroa continued to battle into the eighth inning. After striking out the first two men in the inning, moving his season total to 113 [3rd in the PCL, trailing Nashville's John Wasdin (116) and Ryan Vogelsong (114)], manager Trent Jewett pulled him in favor of Brooks. Nunez greeted Brooks rudely, depositing his fifth homer over the wall in left to knot the contest at 4-4.

Holtz (1-2) suffered the loss after allowing five runs over 1 1/3 innings. Albuquerque's Vladimir Nunez (3-1) – the sixth Isotopes pitcher in the marathon – earned the win after throwing 2 1/3 scoreless innings.

The Sounds and Isotopes turn around and play a twinbill on Thursday evening at Greer, starting at 5:00 p.m. Pat Mahomes (7-4, 3.08) and Matt Bruback (6-9, 4.26) will go for Nashville. It will be Bruback's first home start as a Sound. They will be opposed by Justin Wayne (4-7, 3.84) and Mike Judd (4-8, 6.58).

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Pacific Coast League Stories from July 31, 2003


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