Nashville Sounds Baseball
Nashville Concludes Road Trip With 3-5 Record
Des Moines, IA – Despite a quality start Thursday afternoon from Sounds starter Jimmy Nelson (1-1), the Nashville Sounds were on the losing side of 5-1 game against the Iowa Cubs at Principal Park.
After cruising through five scoreless innings and finding a big double-play in the fourth, Nelson ran into trouble in the sixth inning.
Shortstop Javier Baez provided the big hit for Iowa: a two-run home run over the 18-foot wall in right field. The homer scored Matt Szczur, who reached on an infield single to lead off the frame.
First baseman Hunter Morris gave Nashville the initial 1-0 lead with his RBI single in the fourth inning, but the Sounds failed to score again, going 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position. The two-out drive into left-field scored Eugenio Velez, who reached base on a ground-rule double and stole third.
Velez, two-for-three, has recorded a hit in each of his six starts this season, while Morris continues to contribute as well with hits in six of his last seven.
Outfielder Elian Herrera provided two of Nashville’s seven hits in the contest; both singles. He also swiped a pair of bases.
Reliever Brad Mills pitched a scoreless seventh inning, before Michael Blazek entered in the eighth to allow Iowa their final two runs via two hits and two walks.
I-Cubs right-handed pitcher Kyle Hendricks (1-1) scattered five Nashville hits over seven innings, allowing one run en route to his first victory of the season.
The loss in the series finale concludes the Sounds’ season-opening road trip, in which they went 3-5.
The Sounds home opener, presented by PPG Porter Paints, is scheduled for Friday, April 11th at Greer Stadium against the reigning PCL Champion Omaha Storm Chasers (AAA-Royals). Nashville sends RHP Hiram Burgos (0-1, 6.23) to the hill opposite the Chasers LHP Danny Duffy (1-0, 3.00). Sounds broadcaster Jeff Hem has the call on 102.5-FM “The GAME”.
Box Score
April 10th, 2014
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nashville Sounds | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 0 | |
| Iowa Cubs | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | x | 5 | 8 | 0 | |
| Nashville | AB | R | H | RBI | BB | SO | LOB | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Herrera, CF | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .261 |
| Velez, LF | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | .524 |
| Gindl, RF | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | .136 |
| Diaz, R, C | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 | .250 |
| Morris, H, 1B | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | .290 |
| Gomez, H, SS | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | .250 |
| Orr, 2B | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | .313 |
| Green, T, 3B | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | .231 |
| Nelson, P | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | .000 |
| Mills, P | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 |
| a-Hermida, PH | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | .200 |
| Blazek, P | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 |
| Totals | 32 | 1 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 12 | .227 |
| a-Struck out for Mills in the 8th. | ||||||||
| BATTING 2B: Velez (2, Hendricks). TB: Velez 3; Herrera 2; Diaz, R; Morris, H; Gindl. RBI: Morris, H (1). 2-out RBI: Morris, H. Runners left in scoring position, 2 out: Velez; Gomez, H. GIDP: Diaz, R 2. Team RISP: 1-for-8. Team LOB: 5.BASERUNNING SB: Herrera 2 (2, 2nd base off Hendricks/Whiteside, 2nd base off Ramirez, N/Whiteside), Velez (4, 3rd base off Hendricks/Whiteside).FIELDING DP: (Gomez, H-Orr-Morris, H). |
||||||||
| Iowa | AB | R | H | RBI | BB | SO | LOB | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Szczur, CF | 4 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | .233 |
| Alcantara, 2B | 4 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | .280 |
| Baez, J, SS | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 2 | .154 |
| Vitters, LF | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | .364 |
| Parker, B, P | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 |
| Valaika, 1B | 4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | .263 |
| Villanueva, 3B | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | .273 |
| Jackson, B, RF | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | .120 |
| Whiteside, C | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .133 |
| Hendricks, P | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | .000 |
| a-Coghlan, PH | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .261 |
| Ramirez, N, P | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 |
| Watkins, LF | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 |
| Totals | 29 | 5 | 8 | 5 | 4 | 8 | 12 | .206 |
| a-Grounded out for Hendricks in the 7th. | ||||||||
| BATTING 2B: Valaika (2, Nelson), Alcantara (4, Blazek). HR: Baez, J (2, 6th inning off Nelson, 1 on, 1 out). TB: Baez, J 4; Valaika 3; Alcantara 3; Vitters; Szczur 2. RBI: Baez, J 2 (3), Valaika 2 (3), Villanueva (4). Runners left in scoring position, 2 out: Hendricks; Jackson, B. SF: Villanueva. GIDP: Valaika. Team RISP: 3-for-9. Team LOB: 5.BASERUNNING SB: Szczur (3, 2nd base off Nelson/Diaz, R). CS: Szczur (2, 2nd base by Mills/Diaz, R).FIELDING DP: 2 (Hendricks-Baez, J-Valaika, Baez, J-Alcantara-Valaika). |
||||||||
| Nashville | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | HR | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nelson (L, 1-1) | 6.0 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 1 | 3.00 |
| Mills | 1.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1.80 |
| Blazek | 1.0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 6.75 |
| Totals | 8.0 | 8 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 8 | 1 | 3.69 |
| Iowa | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | HR | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hendricks (W, 1-1) | 7.0 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 5.40 |
| Ramirez, N (H, 2) | 1.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 10.80 |
| Parker, B | 1.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Totals | 9.0 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 0 | 4.38 |
Pitches-strikes: Nelson 86-55, Mills 14-8, Blazek 19-12, Hendricks 87-61, Ramirez, N 24-16, Parker, B 17-12.
Groundouts-flyouts: Nelson 10-0, Mills 1-0, Blazek 0-1, Hendricks 11-3, Ramirez, N 1-0, Parker, B 0-1.
Batters faced: Nelson 25, Mills 3, Blazek 6, Hendricks 25, Ramirez, N 4, Parker, B 4.
Umpires: HP: Thomas Newsom. 1B: Brian Hertzog. 2B: Marcus Pattillo. 3B: Shaun Lampe.
Weather: 57 degrees, sunny.
Wind: 16 mph, In from CF.
T: 2:36.
Att: 4,138.
Venue: Principal Park.
April 10, 2014
