Sounds Lose Homestand Opener To Redbirds, 5-4

Nashville, TN – Memphis outfielder Andrew Brown homered twice as the cross-state rival Memphis Redbirds edged the Nashville Sounds, 5-4, on Wednesday night in the opener of a five-game set at Greer Stadium.

With the loss, Nashville (66-66) drops to .500 by the first time since August 9 and now trails division-leading Omaha by 8.5 games in the PCL American Northern Division. Nashville has now played in 50 one-run games (23-27), the second-most in the league behind Fresno (51). The 27 one-run defeats co-lead the PCL with Tucson.

The first three batters of the Nashville lineup had seven of the nine hits in the loss. Center fielder Logan Schafer reached base four times with three hits and a hit-by-pitch, while left fielder Caleb Gindl and second baseman Eric Farris each added two hits.

Back-to-back jacks from Memphis’ Matt Carpenter and Brown gave the Redbirds a 2-0 lead in the top of the second inning. It was the first time an opponent has hit back-to-back homers off Sounds pitching this season. Cole Garner and Jay Payton for Colorado Springs were the last two players to homer back-to-back, both off Sam Narron in the third inning on August 19, 2010.

The Sounds plated their first run in the second frame as first baseman Mat Gamel singled to start the inning. Gamel moved to second on a groundout and scored on an Edwin Maysonet groundout combined with a throwing error by Memphis first baseman Mark Hamilton.

The Redbirds scored two more runs in the next frame for a 4-1 advantage. Adron Chambers was issued an inning-opening walk from starting pitcher Amaury Rivas, and moved to third on infield single from Shane Robinson combined with a throwing error by Farris. During the ensuing Tyler Greene at-bat, Rivas tossed a wild pitch that allowed Robinson to advance to second base and then balked home Chambers from third base. Hamilton concluded the wild inning with a deep sacrifice fly to left field that scored Robinson.

Nashville scored three runs to knot the contest at 4-4 in the bottom of the fifth inning. Schafer singled, moved to third on a Gindl double, and scored the first run as Farris singled to right field. Third baseman Taylor Green then scored Gindl from second with his 34th double of the season, which tied the slugger with Scott Bradley (1973) for the 10th-most two-baggers in as season in Sounds history. Catcher Martin Maldonado tied the game with a sacrifice fly to score Farris from third base.

The game remain tied until Brown tattooed his 18th homer of the season in the top of the eighth inning off reliever Donovan Hand, a solo shot over the wall in left field.

Both starting pitchers took home no decisions on the evening. Rivas surrendered four runs on six hits while fanning six in five innings pitched. Memphis starter Adam Ottavino gave up four runs (three earned) on eight hits in five innings.

Reliever Donovan Hand (2-5) tossed a season-high three innings pitched. The right-hander threw two scoreless innings before giving up the game-winning long ball to Brown for the loss.

Pete Parise (2-1) tossed two scoreless innings for the win. Victor Marte converted his PCL-leading 26th save by converting the final four outs of the contest.

The Sounds and cross-state rival Memphis Redbirds will continue their five-game series at 7:05pm CT on Thursday night at Greer Stadium. Right-hander Josh Butler (8-7, 4.99) will toe the rubber against Memphis right-hander Maikel Cleto (4-2, 3.58).

Box Score

Memphis Redbirds (70-61) 5, Nashville Sounds (66-66) 4

August 24th, 2011

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Memphis	0	2	2	0	0	0	0	1	0	5	10	2
Nashville	0	1	0	0	3	0	0	0	0	4	9	1

Memphis	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	LOB	AVG
Chambers, CF	4	1	2	0	1	1	0	.281
Robinson, S, LF	5	1	3	0	0	0	2	.313
Greene, SS	4	0	1	0	1	2	3	.336
Hamilton, 1B	4	0	0	1	0	1	6	.346
Carpenter, M, 3B	4	1	1	1	0	0	2	.302
Brown, A, RF	4	2	3	2	0	0	0	.286
Cruz, T, C	4	0	0	0	0	1	1	.272
Kozma, 2B	3	0	0	0	0	3	1	.218
Parise, P	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.200
a-Stavinoha, PH	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	.267
Todd, P	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000
Marte, P	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000
Ottavino, P	2	0	0	0	0	1	1	.156
Bynum, 2B	2	0	0	0	0	0	1	.267
Totals	36	5	10	4	3	9	17	.275
a-Walked for Parise in the 8th.
BATTING 2B: Chambers (18, Rivas), Robinson, S (7, Flores, R). HR: Carpenter, M (10, 2nd inning off Rivas, 0 on, 0 out), Brown, A 2 (18, 2nd inning off Rivas, 0 on, 0 out; 8th inning off Hand, 0 on, 1 out). TB: Chambers 3; Robinson, S 4; Greene; Carpenter, M 4; Brown, A 9. RBI: Carpenter, M (59), Brown, A 2 (64), Hamilton (35). Runners left in scoring position, 2 out: Carpenter, M 2; Hamilton 2. SF: Hamilton. Team RISP: 0-for-7. Team LOB: 8.BASERUNNING SB: Greene (16, 2nd base off Rivas/Maldonado). FIELDING E: Hamilton (2, throw), Brown, A (6, fielding). DP: (Kozma-Greene-Hamilton).

Nashville	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	LOB	AVG
Schafer, CF	4	1	3	0	0	1	0	.348
Gindl, RF	5	1	2	0	0	1	2	.307
Farris, 2B	4	1	2	1	0	1	2	.269
Green, T, 3B	3	0	1	1	1	0	1	.333
Gamel, 1B	3	1	1	0	1	1	3	.319
Maldonado, C	3	0	0	1	0	1	1	.319
Maysonet, SS	4	0	0	0	0	2	2	.292
Boggs, LF	4	0	0	0	0	0	0	.222
Rivas, P	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	.115
Hand, P	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	.500
Flores, R, P	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1.000
a-Almonte, PH	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	.302
Totals	34	4	9	3	2	7	11	.281
a-Flied out for Flores, R in the 9th.
BATTING 2B: Gindl (20, Ottavino), Green, T (34, Ottavino). TB: Schafer 3; Gindl 3; Farris 2; Green, T 2; Gamel. RBI: Farris (50), Green, T (83), Maldonado (17). Runners left in scoring position, 2 out: Green, T; Gamel 2; Maysonet; Gindl. SF: Maldonado. GIDP: Gindl. Team RISP: 2-for-8. Team LOB: 7.BASERUNNING SB: Schafer (4, 2nd base off Parise/Cruz, T), Farris (19, 2nd base off Ottavino/Cruz, T). FIELDING E: Farris (13, throw).

Memphis	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	HR	ERA
Ottavino	5.0	8	4	3	2	2	0	5.12
Parise (W, 2-1)	2.0	1	0	0	0	1	0	4.14
Todd (H, 6)	0.2	0	0	0	0	2	0	4.97
Marte (S, 26)	1.1	0	0	0	0	2	0	1.58
Totals	9.0	9	4	3	2	7	0	4.10

Nashville	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	HR	ERA
Rivas	5.0	6	4	4	2	6	2	5.01
Hand (L, 2-5)	3.0	3	1	1	1	1	1	3.46
Flores, R	1.0	1	0	0	0	2	0	3.14
Totals	9.0	10	5	5	3	9	3	4.32

WP: Rivas.

Balk: Rivas.

HBP: Schafer (by Ottavino).

Pitches-strikes: Ottavino 100-66, Parise 30-20, Todd 8-6, Marte 17-12, Rivas 92-56, Hand 48-35, Flores, R 16-13.

Groundouts-flyouts: Ottavino 7-4, Parise 2-3, Todd 0-0, Marte 1-1, Rivas 4-2, Hand 5-2, Flores, R 1-0.

Batters faced: Ottavino 25, Parise 7, Todd 2, Marte 4, Rivas 23, Hand 13, Flores, R 4.

Umpires: HP: John Tumpane. 1B: Brian Sinclair. 2B: . 3B: Quinn Wolcott.

Weather: 96 degrees, clear.

Wind: 1 mph, Out to LF.

T: 3:01.

Att: 2,503.

Compiled by MLB Advanced Media