PCL1 Nashville Sounds

Sounds Sweep Reno with 12-6 Victory

June 12, 2014 - Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Nashville Sounds News Release


NASHVILLE, Tenn. - The Nashville Sounds belted a season-high four home runs as they completed a four-game sweep of the Reno Aces with a 12-6 victory on Thursday evening at Greer Stadium.

The first-place Sounds (38-30) have won six of their last seven games overall and 22 of their past 29 contests played at Greer Stadium.

Eugenio Velez homered and drove in a season-high five RBIs during his 3-for-4 evening, one of a trio of Sounds with three knocks on the night.

The Sounds turned the game into a rout early on, sending 10 batters to the plate in the bottom of the first inning against Reno starter Lucas Harrell. The first seven batters of the night reached and scored for Nashville, which belted three home runs in the frame.

Pete Orr got the scoring start with a two-run homer to right, his second big fly of the year. Jeremy Hermida followed with a double and scored on a single by Sean Halton (3-for-4). After Caleb Gindl (3-for-5) also singled, Velez hammered a three-run homer to right and Kevin Mattison followed with a solo homer to right-center to up the home team lead to 7-0. The back-to-back homers marked each player's sixth roundtripper of the year.

The seven-run outburst was the Sounds' largest in a single inning since July 1, 2012, when they plated eight in a frame against Iowa.

Nashville continued its hot start in the second, plating two more runs to send Harrell (3-1) to the showers after giving up nine runs in two frames to take his first loss of the season. Sean Halton and Velez contributed run-scoring doubles in the frame as the Sounds' lead swelled to 9-0.

Spot starter Michael Blazek turned in a solid effort while filling in for the recently-promoted Mike Fiers. The right-hander allowed three hits over 4 2/3 scoreless frames, finishing one out shy of qualifying for his first win of the year. Blazek retired 14 of his first 15 batters faced on the evening.

Alfredo Figaro inherited a two-out, bases-loaded jam from Blazek in the fifth but escaped with no damage by retiring Nick Ahmed on a lineout.

The Sounds upped the advantage to 11-0 in the sixth with a pair of two-out runs against Mark Serrano. Gindl smacked an opposite-field double to the left-center gap brought home Orr, who had singled earlier in the frame. Velez followed with an RBI single down the right field line.

Reno finally got on the scoreboard in the top of the seventh with a pair of runs on Ahmed's two-out single against Figaro (2-1), who picked up the win after allowing two runs in two innings of work.

Sounds reliever Kyle Heckathorn made it a 12-2 game in the home half of the seventh when he slugged a home run off Serrano. The blast was the first by a Nashville pitcher since Mark Rogers went yard on June 23, 2012 at Albuquerque.

The Aces pulled back within 12-6 with a four-run rally against Heckathorn, highlighted by a two-run homer by Mike Freeman (3-for-3).

The Sounds continue their homestand on Friday when they welcome the Tacoma Rainiers (AAA-Mariners) to town for the 7:05 p.m. opener of a four-game series. Right-hander Taylor Jungmann (2-2, 5.40) will make the start for the Sounds and face Tacoma southpaw James Gilheeney (1-6, 6.45).

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Pacific Coast League Stories from June 12, 2014


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