Sounds Split Twinbill With Royals
Published on June 15, 2004 under Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Nashville Sounds News Release
Nashville, TN- The Nashville Sounds blanked the Omaha Royals, 1-0, in the second game of a doubleheader on Tuesday evening in front of a sellout crowd of 10,139 fans at Greer Stadium to avenge a 6-5 loss in the evening's opener and gain a split of the twinbill.
Rehabbing outfielder J.J. Davis belted a pair of home runs and drove in three runs over the pair of games to pace the Nashville offense on the evening.
The Sounds struck early in the nightcap, loading the bases with none out in the bottom of the first against Royals starter Kris Wilson (3-9), but managed only one run in the frame on a sacrifice fly by Davis to take a 1-0 lead. It turned out that would be all the offense they would need as they recorded their second shutout win of the year.
John VanBenschoten (3-6) picked up a victory in his third straight start after allowing only two hits and fanning six batters over five scoreless innings. The Pittsburgh Pirates' top prospect has posted a 1.99 ERA (9er/40.2ip) over his last six starts after logging an 8.13 mark over his first six outings this season. Willis Roberts struck out the side in the bottom of the seventh to record his third save for the Sounds.
It was a battle of longballs early on in the opener. The teams traded runs in the first inning of the opener on solo home runs by Omaha's Jed Hansen and Nashville's Andy Abad. Davis gave the home team a 2-1 lead with a solo homer to left off Omaha starter Jason Dickson in the top of the second. PCL home run leader Calvin Pickering added to his monstrous total in the third to give the Royals a 3-2 advantage, belting a two-out two-run bomb to left off Sounds starter Sean Burnett. It was Pickering's 24th roundtripper of the season.
Omaha extended its lead to 6-2 in the top of the fifth when former Sound Jarrod Patterson and Rick Short drew back-to-back bases-loaded walks from Nashville reliever Justin Reid, then Alberto Castillo drove an RBI single to left to plate Pickering.
Tony Alvarez belted his seventh homer of the year, a two-out solo shot in the fifth, to reduce the lead to 6-3. Davis smacked his second homer of the contest, a one-out blast to left off Royals reliever Ryan Bukvich in the sixth, to make it a 6-4 game.
Alvarez drove in Rich Thompson with a two-out single up the middle against Mike MacDougal in the bottom of the seventh to bring the Sounds within a run at 6-5, but the veteran reliever retired Andy Abad on a groundout to escape the jam and record his second save.
Dickson (2-1) recorded the win after allowing three runs in five frames. Burnett (1-5) took his fifth straight loss for the Sounds after surrendering three runs on four hits, including a pair of homers, in his 3 1/3 innings.
The teams continue the series with a noon matinee on Wednesday afternoon. Left-hander Dave Williams (4-1, 3.40) will make the start for Nashville. Omaha will counter with right-hander Jamey Wright (7-4, 3.81).
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