Oklahoma City, OK – Renato Nunez knocked in five runs for the Nashville Sounds in a thrilling 10-7 win over the Oklahoma City Dodgers in game one of the American Conference Finals Wednesday night at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark.
Nashville raced out to a 6-0 lead thanks in part to a three-run homer from Nunez in the opening frame. They chased rehabbing Scott Kazmir from the game after the southpaw hit two batters, walked a pair and allowed the home run.
That’s when things started to turn in Oklahoma City’s favor. The Dodgers used four hits and a Franklin Barreto throwing error to score three runs in the third to cut the deficit in half at 6-3.
Nunez and the Sounds had a quick answer when the third baseman followed Walsh’s walk with an RBI double to extend the lead to 7-4.
It didn’t stay that way for long as O’Koyea Dickson drilled a solo homer in the bottom of the fourth. A wild pitch and RBI single by Micah Johnson pulled the Dodgers to within a run at 7-6 through five innings.
Nashville starter Jesse Hahn allowed six runs in 4 1/3 innings and did not factor into the decision. Hahn struck out seven but allowed seven hits and four walks.
Nunez tallied his fifth RBI of the night with a sacrifice fly in the sixth to extend the lead to 8-6. It didn’t last long as Corey Brown launched a lead-off homer in the home half of the sixth to make it a one-run game again.
The offense kept coming for the Sounds and the bullpen held up. Barreto’s RBI double in the eighth scored Jaycocb Brugman to extend the lead to 9-7 in the eighth, and BJ Boyd’s RBI single in the ninth scored Bryan Anderson to give the Sounds a 10-7 lead.
Relievers Aaron Kurcz, Colt Hynes and Ryan Brasier combined to put up scoreless seventh and eighth innings. Closer Tucker Healy worked around a lead-off single by Will Venable and put up a zero in the ninth to notch the save.
Kurcz got the win after tossing two innings and Kazmir was charged with the loss for Oklahoma City.
Brugman and Boyd finished with three hits each and Nunez and Barreto added a pair apiece. The five RBI for Nunez matches a single-game playoff record previously done twice for Nashville.
Game two of the best-of-five series is scheduled for Thursday night in Oklahoma City. Left-hander Dillon Overton (13-5, 3.29) starts for the Sounds against right-hander Logan Bawcom (6-5, 1.92) for the Dodgers. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05pm.
Tickets for the 2016 Pacific Coast League playoff dates at First Tennessee Park are now available for purchase at the Nashville Sounds box office and online at www.nashvillesounds.com
The 2016 season is the Sounds’ 19th year in the Pacific Coast League and their second as the Oakland Athletics’ top affiliate.
