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Nashville Sounds

Sounds Sweep Away Zephyrs With 4-2 Win

April 20, 2009 - Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Nashville Sounds News Release


METAIRIE, La. - A Joe Koshansky homer provided the winning run for Nashville for the second straight contest as the Sounds completed a four-game sweep of the New Orleans Zephyrs with a 4-2 victory on Monday afternoon at Zephyr Field.

Nashville (7-5) has won five of its last six contests after opening the year with a 2-4 mark.

Sounds starting pitcher Mike Burns turned in an outstanding effort as a last-minute replacement for scheduled Sounds starter Sam Narron, who experienced tightness prior to the game and was scratched from the outing.

Burns (2-0) worked seven strong innings to earn the spot-start victory, allowing two runs on six hits while striking out four batters. He also drove in a run to help his own cause. Chris Smith came in to work the final two frames in scoreless fashion to notch his second save of the year for Nashville.

The Zephyrs grabbed a 1-0 lead when center fielder Alejandro De Aza led off the bottom of the first inning with a solo homer to right off Burns, his first roundtripper of the year.

Nashville knotted the score in the third with an unearned run off New Orleans starter Brett Sinkbeil. After the first two batters of the frame were retired, Tony Gwynn singled to extend his hitting streak to 10 games, moved to third on an Alcides Escobar single, and scored the tying run on a passed ball charged to Z's catcher John Purdom.

Koshansky powered the Sounds into the lead in the fourth when he led off the frame with his second homer in as many days, a solo shot to left-center off Sinkbeil. Nashville extended its advantage to 3-1 later in the frame when Jason Bourgeois (3-for-4) scored from third on a Burns sacrifice bunt.

Gwynn stifled a New Orleans scoring opportunity in the bottom of the frame by throwing out Manny Mayorson at the plate as the Z's infielder attempted to score from third on an Andy Gonzalez flyout.

Nashville third baseman Mat Gamel kept his hot bat going in the fifth when he slugged his team-leading fourth home run of the year, a leadoff solo shot off Sinkbeil that made it a 4-1 game.

The Zephyrs capped off the afternoon's scoring in the bottom of the fifth when De Aza tripled and scored on a Chris Coghlan groundout.

Nashville had a pair of long hit streaks snapped in the contest. Second baseman Hernan Iribarren had his season-opening 10-game hitting streak come to a close with an 0-for-4 effort on the day, while Brendan Katin had his eight-gamer end with an 0-for-4 afternoon.

The Sounds continue their road trip on Tuesday in Memphis, where they'll open a four-game series with the 7:05 p.m. opener against the division-rival Redbirds (AAA-Cardinals).

All-time Major League saves leader Trevor Hoffman will make the start for the Sounds as he begins a rehabilitation assignment. He has yet to pitch this season while on the Milwaukee Brewers' 15-day disabled list with a strained right oblique.

Left-hander Chase Wright (0-1, 7.27) will follow Hoffman on his regular day in the Nashville rotation. Memphis will counter with right-hander Adam Ottavino (0-1, 3.86).

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Pacific Coast League Stories from April 20, 2009


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