Z's Blank Sounds In Series Opener, 3-0
Published on July 1, 2004 under Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Nashville Sounds News Release
Nashville, TN- Former major-leaguer Carlos Hernandez combined with three relievers to lead the New Orleans Zephyrs to a six-hit 3-0 shutout of the Nashville Sounds in the opener of a three-game series on a soggy Thursday evening at Greer Stadium.
The loss, Nashville's fifth in its last six games and sixth shutout defeat of the year, dropped the Sounds (37-42) to a season-low five games below .500.
The Zephyrs jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the top of the second against Nashville starter John VanBenschoten when Dax Norris doubled and came around to score on a two-out RBI two-bagger by Chris Burke, who finished 2-for-4 in the game and extended his on-base streak to a PCL season-best 35 straight games with the knock.
New Orleans third baseman Mike Coolbaugh, who entered the contest as a defensive replacement in the eighth inning, extended the lead to 3-0 in the top of the ninth with a two-run homer off Sounds reliever Chris Fussell. It was Coolbaugh's 13th roundtripper of the season.
The Sounds placed a runner in scoring position in five of their nine innings but came up 0-for-6 in those situations.
Nashville catcher Keith McDonald extended the Sounds' longest hitting streak of the season to 12 games with a fifth-inning single. The red-hot backstop is hitting .583 (21-for-36) over that stretch. Rehabbing infielder Freddy Sanchez delivered a pinch-hit infield single in the seventh for the Sounds.
Hernandez (5-3) allowed four hits over six scoreless frames to pick up the victory. Chris Enochs (0.2 IP) and Philip Barzilla (0.2 IP) held the lead before Chad Qualls notched his first save by recording the final five outs for the Zephyrs.
VanBenschoten (3-7) took a tough-luck loss after allowing only one run and fanning four over seven innings of work. He received no runs of support for the fifth time in his 15 starts and two support runs or less for the tenth time this season. In his last nine starts, VanBenschoten has posted a stellar 1.97 ERA (13er/59.1ip) but has only three victories to show for his efforts.
The team face off in game two of the three-game set on Friday evening at 7:00 p.m. All-Star left-hander Dave Williams (4-2, 3.96) takes the hill for Nashville to take on New Orleans right-hander Brandon Duckworth (1-2, 6.14). The first 2,000 fans through the turnstiles on the Sounds' third Faith Night of the 2004 season will receive a complimentary Tike Redman figurine.
Pacific Coast League Stories from July 1, 2004
- Two more Lopez Homers not enough for win - Omaha Storm Chasers
- Z's Blank Sounds In Series Opener, 3-0 - Nashville Sounds
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- Beavers make a few roster moves - Portland Beavers
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- Sox Return Home For July 4th - Colorado Springs Sky Sox
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- Tike Redman Figurine Night Set For Friday - Nashville Sounds
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