Sounds Walk off First-Half Champs in Series Opener
IL Nashville Sounds

Sounds Walk off First-Half Champs in Series Opener

Published on September 16, 2026 under International League (IL)
Nashville Sounds News Release


NASHVILLE - The Nashville Sounds secured their eighth walk-off win of the season with a 5-4 extra-innings victory over the Memphis Redbirds Tuesday night at First Horizon Park. Brock Wilken, Brandon Lockridge, Akil Baddoo and Jeferson Quero each tallied a 2-hit game in the win and were responsible for 4-of-the-5 runs contributed.

The Sounds jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning as Wilken lined a one-out single into center field. Two at-bats later, Lockridge ripped an RBI-double to center and scored Wilken for the one-run lead. Baddoo followed with his own RBI-single and scored Lockridge for the second run of the game. Memphis immediately tied the game as Coleman Crow issued three singles, including back-to-back RBI-singles.

Nashville regained the lead in the bottom of the fourth inning as Quero led off the inning with a base hit into center field. After a wild pitch by Memphis advanced Black into scoring position, Eduardo Garcia drove Black home with an RBI-single to take back the lead. The Redbirds retaliated once again as major league rehabber Bryse Wilson issued two singles, including an RBI-single to make it 3-3. With one out in the frame, Wilson was relieved for Gerson Garabito inheriting the two runners on base and issued a walk to load the bases. Garabito stranded all three runners on base as he issued a fly out to center field to get out of the frame.

Blake Holub entered the game in the top of the ninth inning and retired the side in 1-2-3 fashion. The Sounds had not scored in five straight innings as the Redbirds pitching staff retired 16-of-the-last-22 batters faced since the final out of the fourth frame, heading into extra innings. Holub remained in the game for the top of the 10th and issued an RBI-single into center, scoring the placement runner from second and giving the Redbirds their first lead of the game.

The Sounds responded in the bottom of the 10th inning as Quero ripped an RBI-single into center field and scored Lockridge from second base to tie the game and head into the 11th. Brett Wichrowski secured the 1-2-3 frame in the top of the 11th inning to give Nashville another opportunity for the walk-off win. Garcia drew a leadoff walk that put two on base. After Jonathan Ornelas dropped a sac bunt towards the first baseman and advanced both runners into scoring position, Wilken ripped a hard grounder at the second baseman and was deep enough to score Rodriguez for the 5-4 walk-off win. Wichrowski earned his fourth win of the season, second in relief, and worked his eighth straight appearance without allowing an earned run.

The Sounds and the Redbirds continue the final series of the 2026 season on Wednesday, September 16. First pitch is scheduled for 6:35 p.m. CT and right-hander Carlos Rodriguez (0-6, 7.79 ERA) is scheduled to get the start for Nashville.

POSTGAME NOTES:

GOT WILK?: Brock Wilken recorded his 15th multi-hit game of the season - first since September 6 vs. Louisville - and finished Tuesday's series opener against the Memphis Redbirds 2-for-5 with a walk, run, and a strikeout. He snapped a four-game hitless streak and bounced back from a 1-for-16 series in Durham last week. He is tied with Tyler Black and Akil Baddoo for the second-most multi-hit games on Nashville's active roster. Entering the night, Wilken was just 5-for-32 (.156) in nine games against the Redbirds this season with three of his hits coming in the matchup on June 20 in Memphis. He was 1-for-20 against the Redbirds over his last six games after his three-hit day. His walk in the bottom of the ninth inning was his 80 th of the season, placing him in a tie with Brian Dayett (1982) for the 10th-most in a single-season in Sounds franchise history.

KEY LOCK: Brandon Lockridge extended his current hitting streak to five games, tying his season high as part of a multi-hit day. After recording three of the Sounds' five hits over the last two games, he added his fifth multi-hit game, and second in his last three games, finishing Tuesday night 2-for-4 with a double, RBI, two runs, and a strikeout. He is 7-for-19 over his last five games with two doubles, three RBI, and a walk. Since returning to Nashville on August 23, he is hitting .266 (17-for-64) with a hit in 13 of his last 16 games.

SO NICE WE DID IT BRYSE: Right-hander Bryse Wilson began his Major League Rehab assignment with 2.1 IP on Tuesday night in his first game action since he landed on the Brewers 15-day IL on August 31. He surrendered one unearned run on four hits with a pair of strikeouts against the Redbirds. In 12 relief appearances for the Brewers this season, Wilson has allowed seven earned runs across 24.2 IP with 22 strikeouts and just one walk. It was his first action in Triple-A since June 11 when he was with Lehigh Valley (PHI). After beginning the season in the Phillies org, Wilson appeared in 12 games for the Iron Pigs, going 3-5 with a 6.29 ERA in 11 starts. Despite pitching in 100 games for the Brewers between 2023-2024 & 2026, Tuesday night was his Nashville debut. He made 72 appearances between Gwinnett (2018-21), Indianapolis (2022), Charlotte (2025) and Lehigh Valley (2026).

BROCK-OFF: Nashville's 5-4 walk-off win over Memphis was the Sounds' eighth walk-off win of the year. Brock Wilken delivered the game-winning run with grounder to second base in the bottom of the 11th inning to score Ramon Rodriguez. Wilken is the eighth different player to deliver a walk-off win for Nashville this season. It was the third walk-off of his career. His last was on May 25 of last year for Double-A Biloxi when he also reached on a fielder's choice. His first career walk-off was a RBI single in the bottom of the ninth to beat the ACL Rangers in his sixth career game. It was Nashville's second time going to 11 innings this year and the first since May 15 against Iowa when the Sounds won 4-3. The Sounds improved to 3-8 in extra innings this year.

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International League Stories from September 16, 2026


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