Nashville Starter Johnny Hellweg Logs Six Shutout Innings For Eighth Victory
Metairie, LA – The Nashville Sounds topped the New Orleans Zephyrs Saturday night at Zephyr Field by a 8-5 margin, guided by Johnny Hellweg’s impressive return start and offensive fireworks from Robinzon Diaz.
Hellweg (8-4) made his first start for Nashville since June 22 a good one, logging six innings of shutout baseball for his eighth quality start of the season. The 6-foot-9 hurler limited the Z’s to two hits on a team season-high 108 pitches, walking four and striking out six.
The victory is Hellweg’s eighth and his seventh consecutive, the longest such streak by a Sounds pitcher this season, stretching back to his May 16 outing against Salt Lake City. Hellweg’s has not allowed a run over his last 13 PCL innings.Offensively, the Sounds scored first in the game using three hits and a walk in the second inning to take a 2-0 lead over the Zephyrs. Outfielder Khris Davis reached base with a single and scored on Anderson De La Rosa’s base knock into right-center field. Following a wild pitch that moved De La Rosa to second, Cole Garner hit into shallow centerfield for an RBI.
De La Rosa, 2-for-5, added to the Sounds lead with a double into left field which scored Hunter Morris from second.
In the following inning, third baseman Robinzon Diaz doubled the Sounds’ lead with one swing of the bat, connecting for a home run to centerfield to make it 6-0. The homer scored Josh Prince and Scooter Gennett, who both singled to start the fifth.
The Z’s picked up a pair of runs with two outs in the seventh inning. Reliever Travis Webb walked Kyle Jensen and then allowed an RBI-double to Gorkys Hernandez. Tim Dillard entered to pick up the final out, but not before Chris Valaika hit a double down the left-field line to make it 6-2.
The Sounds took back their six-run lead in the ninth inning with a two-run double from Kentrail Davis that scored Gennett, 2-for-5, and Hainley Statia, 1-for-1.
Zach Kroenke, Michael Olmsted and Rob Wooten also saw work on the hill for Nashville. Kroenke worked a scoreless eighth inning, before giving way to Olmsted, who let up a three-run homer in the ninth to Hernandez. Wooten entered with one out in the ninth to finish the game.
New Orleans’ Duane Below (5-4) was charged with the loss, allowing Nashville three runs on five hits over four innings of work.
The Sounds will look to win the four-game series with New Orleans Sunday night at Zephyr Field. Throwing for Nashville will be RHP Jimmy Nelson (1-3, 3.62) opposite the Z’s RHP Jay Jackson (1-0, 0.00).
Baseball returns to Nashville on Monday, July 22nd, for Peanut Free Night at Greer, presented by the Allergy, Asthma & Sinus Center.
Box Score
July 20th, 2013
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Nashville Sounds | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 14 | 1 | |
New Orleans Zephyrs | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 6 | 0 | |
Nashville Sounds | |||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Player | Pos | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | AVG |
Josh Prince | SS | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | .223 |
Scooter Gennett | 2B | 5 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .295 |
Robinzon Diaz | 3B | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 1 | .380 |
Travis Webb | P | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 |
Tim Dillard | P | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 |
Zach Kroenke | P | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .077 |
a- Hainley Statia | PH | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .264 |
Michael Olmsted | P | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 |
Rob Wooten | P | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 |
Hunter Morris | 1B | 5 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .239 |
Khris Davis | LF | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | .247 |
Kentrail Davis | RF | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | .321 |
Anderson De La Rosa | C | 5 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | .264 |
Cole Garner | CF | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | .181 |
Johnny Hellweg | P | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .188 |
Blake Davis | 3B | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .227 |
Totals | 39 | 8 | 14 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 4 | 9 | .247 |
2B: De La Rosa, A (13, Below).
HR: Diaz, R (2, 5th inning off Varner, 2 on, 0 out).
TB: Prince; Garner 2; De La Rosa, A 3; Diaz, R 4; Hellweg; Gennett 2; Davis, Kh; Morris, H 2; Statia; Davis, Ke.
RBI: De La Rosa, A 2 (18), Garner (25), Diaz, R 3 (9), Davis, Ke 2 (4).
2-out RBI: Garner; De La Rosa, A; Davis, Ke 2.
Runners left in scoring position, 2 out: Hellweg; De La Rosa, A.
GIDP: Diaz, R.
Team RISP: 5-for-9.
Team LOB: 8.FIELDING
E: Gennett (4, fielding).
DP: (Prince-Gennett-Morris, H).
New Orleans Zephyrs | |||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Player | Pos | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | AVG |
Kevin Mattison | CF | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | .221 |
b- Gorkys Hernandez | PH-CF | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | .275 |
Chris Valaika | 2B | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | .167 |
Bryan Petersen | RF | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | .289 |
Kevin Kouzmanoff | 3B | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .284 |
Joe Mahoney | 1B | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | .219 |
Nick Green | SS | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .212 |
Jordan Brown | LF | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .276 |
Kyle Skipworth | C | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | .174 |
Duane Below | P | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .091 |
Rett Varner | P | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | .333 |
a- Kyle Jensen | PH | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | .227 |
Zach Phillips | P | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 |
c- Matt Downs | PH | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | .218 |
Totals | 32 | 5 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 7 | 7 | .251 |
2B: Hernandez, Go (11, Webb), Valaika (1, Dillard), Skipworth (10, Olmsted).
HR: Hernandez, Go (4, 9th inning off Olmsted, 2 on, 0 out).
TB: Valaika 2; Brown, J; Skipworth 2; Hernandez, Go 6; Below.
RBI: Hernandez, Go 4 (22), Valaika (2).
2-out RBI: Hernandez, Go; Valaika.
Runners left in scoring position, 2 out: Kouzmanoff 2; Mattison; Green, N.
GIDP: Valaika.
Team RISP: 2-for-10.
Team LOB: 8.FIELDING
Outfield assists: Mattison (Davis, Ke at 3rd base).
DP: (Kouzmanoff-Valaika-Mahoney).
Nashville Sounds | |||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Player | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | HR | ERA | |||
Johnny Hellweg (W, 8-4) | 6.0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 6 | 0 | 2.61 | |||
Travis Webb | 0.2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 7.09 | |||
Tim Dillard | 0.1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2.48 | |||
Zach Kroenke | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4.57 | |||
Michael Olmsted | 0.1 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 6.70 | |||
Rob Wooten | 0.2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3.02 | |||
Totals | 9.0 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 7 | 7 | 1 | 4.58 |
New Orleans Zephyrs | |||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Player | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | HR | ERA | |||
Duane Below (L, 5-4) | 4.0 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 2.65 | |||
Rett Varner | 3.0 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 2.70 | |||
Zach Phillips | 2.0 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 2.45 | |||
Totals | 9.0 | 14 | 8 | 8 | 4 | 9 | 1 | 3.71 |
IBB: Garner (by Below), Davis, Kh (by Phillips).
HBP: Kouzmanoff (by Hellweg).
Pitches-strikes: Hellweg 108-65, Webb 13-7, Dillard 17-10, Kroenke 15-9, Olmsted 23-12, Wooten 7-5, Below 86-53, Varner 46-33, Phillips 42-24.
Groundouts-flyouts: Hellweg 8-3, Webb 1-0, Dillard 0-0, Kroenke 1-1, Olmsted 1-0, Wooten 1-0, Below 3-2, Varner 2-2, Phillips 3-0.
Batters faced: Hellweg 24, Webb 4, Dillard 3, Kroenke 3, Olmsted 4, Wooten 2, Below 18, Varner 14, Phillips 11.
Inherited runners-scored: Dillard 1-1.
Umpires: HP: Jordan Baker. 1B: Jordan Ferrell. 2B: Kolin Kline. 3B: Chris Segal.
Weather: 85 degrees, partly cloudy.
Wind: 4 mph, Out to LF.
T: 3:34.
Att: 6,589.
Venue: Zephyr Field.
July 20th, 2013