PCL1 Nashville Sounds

Sounds Win Streak Snapped with 5-4 Loss to RedHawks

June 20, 2010 - Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Nashville Sounds News Release


NASHVILLE, Tenn. - The Nashville Sounds had their four-game win streak come to a close with a 5-4 loss to the Oklahoma City RedHawks on a beautiful Sunday afternoon at historic Greer Stadium.

The Sounds jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the third inning. Luis Cruz drew an inning-opening walk from Oklahoma City starter Michael Kirkman and scored later in the frame on Ray Olmedo's sacrifice fly to center.

Oklahoma City took a 2-1 lead in the top of the fourth against left-hander Chris Waters. With one out, the visitors loaded the bases when Chris Davis was hit by a pitch, Ryan Garko walked, and Mitch Moreland singled to shallow right. Chad Tracy then lifted a bloop into center field that should have gone for a hit but Trent Oeltjen deked Moreland on the play, resulting in an RBI forceout at second. Former Sound Hernan Iribarren followed with a go-ahead, two-out single to left.

Nashville evened the contest in the home half of the fourth. Brendan Katin was hit by a Kirkman pitch, moved to second on a wild pitch, and scored on Joe Koshansky's RBI single to right-center to knot the score at 2-2.

RedHawks shortstop Gregorio Petit put the visitors back on top in the fifth with a leadoff homer to left-center off Waters, his third longball of the year. Oklahoma City added a run later in the frame when Davis doubled to extend his longest hit streak of the year to eight games then scored when Ryan Garko followed with a two-bagger of his own, upping the lead to 4-2.

Oklahoma City extended its advantage in the sixth on a sacrifice fly by former Sounds All-Star Nelson Cruz off reliever A.J. Murray.

The Sounds pulled back within a run in the bottom of the sixth. Team RBI leader Luis Cruz upped his total to 36 on the year in the bottom of the sixth when he plated Koshansky with a two-out double off the left field wall. Adam Stern (3-for-3) followed with an infield single to first base, and Chad Tracy misfired towards Kirkman covering the bag, allowing Cruz to score to reduce the deficit to 5-4.

Petit halted the rally with an outstanding play on Ray Olmedo's ground ball up the middle that he back-handed behind the second base bag and flipped to Iribarren to end the inning.

Kirkman (7-1) picked up the win with a quality start for the visitors. The southpaw allowed four runs (three earned) on five hits over six innings of work. He walked five batters and struck out six.

A pair of Oklahoma City relievers combined to post three scoreless frames to close out the contest. Pedro Strop registered his seventh save of the year by recording the final four outs.

Waters (4-4) drew the loss for Nashville and is now winless in his last six trips to the hill. The left-hander allowed four runs on eight hits over five innings of work.

The teams wrap up the series with a 7:05 p.m. finale on Monday evening at Greer. Left-hander Chuck Löfgren (6-4, 5.15) will man the bump for the Sounds to face Oklahoma City right-hander Doug Mathis (2-2, 4.24).

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Pacific Coast League Stories from June 20, 2010


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