Sounds Stay Hot, Sting Bees 10-2
Published on May 3, 2008 under Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Nashville Sounds News Release
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - The Nashville Sounds continued their hot play on Saturday evening, routing PCL frontrunner Salt Lake, 10-2, in front of a standing room only crowd of 10,168 fans at Greer Stadium.
The win was the fourth in the last five games for the Sounds (9-19).
Right fielder Brendan Katin went 2-for-3 with four RBIs and designated hitter Russell Branyan homered as part of a 3-for-4 evening to pace the Nashville offense. Every Sounds batter recorded at least one hit in the contest.
Prior to arriving in Music City, Salt Lake (24-4) had lost twice in their first 26 games. They are winless in two games at Greer Stadium this weekend.
Nashville starter Richie Gardner (1-1) picked up his first win of the year after he worked a season-high five innings and allowed two runs (one earned) on five hits while tossing 90 pitches (52 strikes). He walked two batters and struck out three.
Relievers Erasmo Ramirez, Ben Howard, and Jason Shiell closed out the contest with four shutout innings behind Gardner. The Nashville bullpen has allowed only one run in its last 19 2/3 innings of work over six games (0.46 ERA).
The Sounds jumped out to a 2-0 advantage in the bottom of the third inning. Ozzie Chavez, Hernan Iribarren, and Abraham Nunez opened the frame with three consecutive singles off Salt Lake starter Shane Loux, the last of which plated Chavez with the game's first run. Iribarren scored from third a batter later on a Laynce Nix double play groundout to push the lead to two.
Bees first baseman Matthew Brown halved the lead in the top of the fourth with a leadoff home run down the left field line off Gardner, the infielder's team-leading seventh roundtripper of the year.
Nashville got the run back in the bottom of the frame when Katin plated Vinny Rottino with a two-out RBI double.
Salt Lake pulled within a run at 3-2 in the fourth with an unearned run stemming from a Gardner fielding error on a bunt attempt.
The Sounds gave themselves some breathing room in the sixth, chasing Loux with a five-run inning that increased the lead to 8-2.
Branyan belted a two-run, opposite-field homer to left, his fifth longball of the year, to score Brad Nelson who had led off with a double. Vinny Rottino and Adam Heether followed with singles before Katin continued his solid night with a two-run triple to the wall in right-center, his team-leading third three-bagger of the year. Iribarren finished the rally with an RBI bloop single to left.
Nashville added two more runs in the seventh in unearned fashion against Bees reliever Matt Wilhite. Nelson reached on a dropped infield popup and scored on Rottino's RBI double off the center field wall. Katin plated his fourth run of the night when he lofted a sacrifice fly to left later in the frame to bring the score to its final 10-2 count.
Loux (4-2) absorbed the loss for the Bees after he was tagged for eight runs on 10 hits over his five-plus frames of action.
The teams continue the series with a 2 p.m. meeting on Sunday afternoon. Right-hander Mark DiFelice (2-0, 3.00) will toe the rubber for the Sounds to face Salt Lake right-hander Kasey Olenberger (1-1, 5.79).
Pacific Coast League Stories from May 3, 2008
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- Myrow Homers, Estes Earns Fourth Win As Beavers Cruise - Portland Beavers
- Sounds Stay Hot, Sting Bees 10-2 - Nashville Sounds
- Redbirds rally late to top Sox - Memphis Redbirds
- Oklahoma RedHawks Game Notes - Oklahoma City Comets
- Royals Game Notes - Omaha Storm Chasers
- Bees Offer All You Can Eat Meal/Ticket Package - Salt Lake Bees
- Sidewinders Jump Out To Big Lead, Hold On For Win - Tucson Sidewinders
- 'Topes Snake Bitten in Series Opener, 12-9 - Albuquerque Isotopes
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