Nashville Sounds lose to Oklahoma City RedHawks 4-2

Nashville’s Gindl Homers; Gennett’s Streak to 11 Games

Oklahoma City, OK – The Nashville Sounds never recovered from the Oklahoma City RedHawks’ three-run second inning Tuesday night at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark, losing their sixth consecutive road game by the score of 4-2.

The RedHawks big inning came against Sounds starting pitcher Johnny Hellweg (1-3), though only the first run he allowed, a Marc Krauss lead-off home run to left field, was earned. The homer was Krauss’ sixth and the first surrendered by Hellweg this season.

The RedHawks’ following two runs came after a passed ball from catcher Anderson De La Rosa put two runners in scoring position with one out. Brett Wallace, who reached base on balls, crossed home plate on a groundout, while Jonathan Villar stole home to make it 3-0.

Villar’s steal of home is the first scored against Nashville since Las Vegas’ Manny Mayorson did so on August 15, 2011 at Greer Stadium.

Hellweg ran into a jam in his final frame when a pair of lead-off hits put runners on the corners, but the 24-year-old displayed poise by striking out the side to end the inning, unfortunately not before De La Rosa’s third passed ball allowed the runner from third to score.

Reliever Donovan Hand entered in the seventh inning to take over for Hellweg, who threw 101 pitches en route to his first quality start of the year, allowing four runs, one earned, on four hits. The 6-foot-9 hurler fanned seven, which ties Tyler Thornburg’s Opening Day outing for the most by a Sounds’ starter this season, and walked four. Hellweg took the tough-luck loss.

Hand and Michael Olmsted each pitched one scoreless inning out of the ‘pen, allowing one hit apiece. The two combined to strikeout three and walked none.

Sounds’ hitters did not find a hit against RedHawks winning pitcher Jarred Cosart (3-0) until the fifth inning, as outfielder Caleb Gindl connected for a double to the left-field corner. Gindl also recorded the Sounds final hit of the game, a solo home run in the ninth inning off Josh Zeid.

The team plated their first run in the sixth inning via Hunter Morris’ single into centerfield. The hit scored infielder Scooter Gennett from second, after legging out an infield hit and stealing second.

Gennett’s hit extends his hit streak to 11 games, in which he is hitting .403 (20-for-45). He has reached base safely in each of his first 19 games and has a hit in 18 of them.

The Sounds finish the opening month of baseball 7-16, collectively hitting .234, while Nashville pitchers hold a 4.36 ERA.

The Sounds look to snap their losing skid in game three against the Oklahoma City RedHawks on Wednesday night at 7:05pm. Manning the bump for Nashville will be RHP Tyler Thornburg (0-2, 5.04) against the ‘Hawks LHP Dallas Keuchel (1-0, 0.00).

Baseball returns to Greer Stadium on Tuesday, May 7th, as the Sounds host the Fresno Grizzlies (AAA-Giants).

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