Sounds Split Twinbill With I-Cubs
July 21, 2007 - Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Nashville Sounds News Release
DES MOINES - The Nashville Sounds split a doubleheader against the division-rival Iowa Cubs on Saturday evening at Principal Park, winning the opener by a 5-1 count before being blanked 1-0 in the nightcap.
The Sounds (62-39) maintained their 6 ½ game lead over the second-place Cubs in the PCL American Conference Northern Division.
In the opener, Nashville native R.A. Dickey (8-5) worked a seven-inning complete game and improved to 4-1 with a 2.04 ERA (12er/53.0ip) in eight starts since returning to the rotation in mid-June. The complete game was Dickey's second of the year; both have come in doubleheader contests against Iowa.
The Sounds took a 1-0 lead when Joe Dillon scored unearned in the top of the second inning. After singling to lead off the frame, Dillon was rounding the bases in attempt to score on a Mike Rivera double when he was interfered with by Cubs second baseman Eric Patterson. As a result, he was awarded home and scored the night's first run.
Nashville doubled its lead to 2-0 in the third when Dillon plated Callix Crabbe with a two-out RBI single off Iowa starter Randy Wells.
The Sounds blew the game open in the fourth with a three-run outburst against Wells to up the advantage to 5-0. Andy Abad doubled to open the frame and scored on Brad Nelson's one-out two-bagger. After Ozzie Chavez singled to put runners on the corners, Dickey helped his own cause with a two-run double to the wall in right-center. All three of Dickey's career RBIs have come against Iowa.
Iowa jumped on the board in the bottom of the fourth when Ronny Cedeno plated Geovany Soto with a two-out RBI single to left off Dickey.
Wells (5-5) took the loss for the Cubs after allowing five runs (four earned) on eight hits over four innings of action.
Iowa rebounded with a four-hit, 1-0 shutout in the evening's second contest as four pitchers combined to keep Nashville off the scoreboard for only the fifth time this season.
Eric Patterson gave Iowa a quick 1-0 lead in the nightcap when he led off the bottom of the first inning with a solo home run to left off Sounds starter Steve Bray. The blast was the infielder's 14th of the year and would turn out to be the only run scored in the second seven-inning contest between the clubs.
Les Walrond started the nightcap for the Cubs and worked two scoreless innings before turning things over to John Webb (4-6), who earned the victory after tossing three innings of one-hit scoreless ball and striking out four batters. Rocky Cherry added a scoreless frame before Clay Rapada finished off the shutout in the seventh to earn his team-leading 14th save of the year.
Nashville's best scoring chance came in the top of the first when Vinny Rottino bowled over Cubs catcher Tony Richie at the plate while attempting to score on a two-out Dillon double, but the Iowa backstop held onto the ball for the final out of the inning.
Bray (5-2) allowed one run on four hits while striking out five batters over three innings of work in his spot start, his first of the year for the Sounds.
Dillon went 2-for-2 for Nashville in the nightcap to continue his hot hitting and record two of the club's five hits in the game.
The teams wrap up the series with a 1:05 p.m. CT finale on Sunday afternoon. Right-hander Elmer Dessens (0-0, 0.00) will make his second rehab start for the Sounds. Iowa will counter with former Nashville hurler Cory Bailey (2-1, 2.63).
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