Sounds Swept By Zephyrs In Doubleheader
Published on July 13, 2008 under Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Nashville Sounds News Release
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - It was an emotional roller coaster for the Nashville Sounds and their fans on Sunday evening at Greer Stadium as the team wrapped up play before the All-Star break.
After scoring 11 unanswered runs to erase an eight-run deficit and take a late lead over New Orleans in the second game of a doubleheader, the Zephyrs rallied for four runs in the final evening of play to steal a 13-12 victory and complete a twinbill sweep to wrap up a four-game series.
In the evening's opener, the Zephyrs handed the Sounds their second consecutive shutout defeat as three New Orleans hurlers combined on a 3-0, one-hit shutout. It marked Nashville's first consecutive goose eggs since the club was blanked in three straight games in Memphis near the end of the 2005 season.
In the nightcap, Nashville fell behind 9-1 after three-and-a-half innings before mounting their largest comeback of the year to grab a 12-9 lead before giving up four more late runs to suffer the heartbreaking defeat.
The Zephyrs took a 3-0 lead with three two-out runs against Lindsay Gulin in the third inning. Valentino Pascucci highlighted the frame with a mammoth two-run homer to center that easily cleared the 24-foot high batter's eye. It was the slugger's team-leading 18th roundtripper of the season.
Nashville third baseman Adam Heether answered the longball with a solo blast of his own in the bottom of the frame off Z's starter Nelson Figueroa, his eighth home run of the year which made it a 3-1 game.
New Orleans extended its cushion to eight runs by sending 11 batters to the plate during a six-run fourth inning, pushing the lead to 9-1. All six runs in the frame were charged to Gulin, although three scored after reliever Randy Choate took over on the hill.
The Sounds got four runs back in the bottom of the fourth against Figueroa to pull within 9-5. Tony Gwynn led off with an infield single and moved to third on a Brad Nelson single before scoring on Vinny Rottino's single. Brendan Katin then cleared two runners off the bases with a double off the left-center wall. Heether followed with a two-bagger of his own to right-center, driving home Katin for his second RBI of the night.
Nashville rallied to take a 12-9 with a seven-run rally in the sixth. Nelson and Rottino opened the frame with back-to-back singles to chase Figueroa. Juan Padilla took over on the hill and was greeted by a Katin RBI single, which Pascucci over-ran in right field to allow a second run to score on the play as Katin advanced to third as a result of the error. Heether drove in his third run of the night when he followed with a sacrifice fly to left. The Sounds then loaded the bases on a pair of singles followed by a Callix Crabbe walk before Gwynn lifted a game-tying sac fly to center to greet reliever Tim McNab.
With Laynce Nix at the plate and runners on second and third, Z's catcher Gustavo Molina attempted to pick Hernan Iribarren off third but his throw went into the Nashville bullpen, allowing two runs to score to give the Sounds their first lead of the evening. Nix then capped off the frame with a long home run to right-center that careened off the back side of the clubhouse building beyond the wall. The blast was the outfielder's team-leading 17th of the year.
New Orleans didn't go down without a fight in the seventh, re-taking a 13-12 lead with four runs off All-Star Sounds closer Luis Pena as they batted around for the second time in the contest. Josh Petersen pulled the visitors within a run with a two-run, pinch-hit single before Anderson Machado ripped a game-tying single to right later in the frame to bring him home. Valentino Pascucci (3-for-4) followed by driving in his fourth run of the evening with a go-ahead single to right. Heether took over on the hill and recorded the final out in his second pitching appearance of the year.
Rottino led off the Sounds' seventh with a double to left but was stranded there as New Orleans reliever Casey Hoorelbeke retired the next three batters in order to notch his first save of the year.
McNab (3-1) was the beneficiary of the late Z's rally, earning the win after allowing one run in his two-thirds of an inning.
Pena (1-1) suffered his first loss of the year after blowing his third save. He allowed four runs on five hits in two-thirds of an inning.
Gulin took a no-decision in the nightcap for Nashville despite giving up a season-high nine runs on eight hits in his shortest start of the year; the All-Star southpaw lasted only 3 1/3 innings. His ERA jumped from 2.89 to 3.67 during the outing. The nine runs allowed were his most in any outing dating back to the start of the 1999 campaign.
New Orleans took a 1-0 lead in the opener with a second-inning run off Steve Hammond. Michel Abreu led off with a single and later scored on an Anderson Machado RBI single to left.
Abreu increased the visitors' lead to 2-0 in the fourth when he led off the frame with a solo homer to center off Hammond, his ninth roundtripper of the year.
The Zephyrs added their final tally in the top of the seventh when Tim Dillard issued a bases-loaded walk to John Rodriguez, bringing the score to its final 3-0.
Callix Crabbe recorded the lone Nashville hit of the first contest, a fourth-inning single. Brendan Katin went 0-for-3 in the opener to snap his season-best hitting streak at eight games.
Zephyrs starter Willie Collazo worked three hitless innings to open the ballgame before being removed due to a planned pitch count. He will start the Triple-A All-Star Game on Wednesday.
Jose Santiago (3-0) followed Collazo to the hill and earned the win with three innings of scoreless, one-hit ball. Nate Field kept the Sounds off the board in the bottom of the seventh to notch his seventh save of the year.
Hammond (0-4) took his fourth loss in four starts for Nashville after he allowed two runs on four hits and struck out a Triple-A career-best seven batters over his four innings of work.
The Sounds take the next four days off during the Triple-A All-Star break before resuming their schedule on Friday evening in Des Moines, Iowa, when they open a three-game weekend series against the division-rival Iowa Cubs.
Right-hander Richie Gardner (6-2, 4.20) will man the bump for the Sounds in Friday's 7:05 p.m. series opener. Iowa has yet to announce its starter for the contest.
Catcher Vinny Rottino, left-handed starting pitcher Linsday Gulin, and closer Luis Pena will join trainer Jeff Paxson in representing the Sounds in the 2008 Triple-A All-Star Game on Wednesday evening in Louisville, Ky. The 6:00 p.m. CT game will air on ESPN2 and Sports Radio 560 AM.
Pacific Coast League Stories from July 13, 2008
- Isotopes Rally For Victory, 8-6 - Albuquerque Isotopes
- Z's sweep twin bill - New Orleans Baby Cakes
- Sounds Swept By Zephyrs In Doubleheader - Nashville Sounds
- Phelps belts walk-off in 'Birds win - Memphis Redbirds
- Big Innings Lead Fresno Past Colorado Springs, 8-1 - Colorado Springs Sky Sox
- Rodriguez Returns to Salt Lake - Salt Lake Bees
- Oklahoma RedHawks Game Notes - Oklahoma City Comets
- Angels Recall Moseley - Salt Lake Bees
- Royals Game Notes - Omaha Storm Chasers
- Portland Sneaks by Tucson 8-7 - Tucson Sidewinders
- Colorado Springs Comes Back, Walks Off With 6-5 Extra-Inning Win - Colorado Springs Sky Sox
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