Nashville, TN – The Nashville Sounds (20-18) continued to crush the ball on Sunday afternoon, setting a new season-high with 15 hits in a 6-5 win over the Gwinnett Stripers on Sunday afternoon at First Horizon Park. With today’s victory, the Sounds split the six-game series at 3-3 with Gwinnett.
Payton Henry led the attack for the Sounds, getting the scoring started with a solo homer to left in the second. Andruw Monasterio followed his teammate with another solo shot in the frame. Henry would come through in the clutch again, doubling home Eddy Alvarez to make it a 3-1 game through four.
More big hits came for the Sounds in the fifth, extending their lead to four runs. After Blake Perkins leadoff double, Monasterio singled him home in the next at-bat. Abraham Toro then extended his on-base streak with an RBI double that brough home Monasterio for the second time on the day.
Though it did not result in an RBI, Patrick Dorrian grounding into a double play resulted in what turned out to be the winning run, with Brian Navarreto scoring the Sounds’ sixth run.
Starter Thomas Pannone (1-0) turned in the first quality start of the season for the Nashville pitching staff with six strong innings of work. The left-hander held Gwinnett to a pair of runs on four hits and just one free pass. Clayton Andrews and Jake Cousins followed with more success, tossing back-to-back scoreless innings in relief.
Gwinnett put together a late rally after capitalizing on an Abraham Toro error to start the ninth. Bennett Sousa (S, 1) entered with a bases-loaded, two-out situation and got a groundout to end the game before the Stripers could tie it up.
Four Sounds had multi-hit days, with Perkins leading the charge going 4-for-5 with two doubles, a triple and two runs scored. Henry had a 3-for-4 day with a double, homer and two RBI. Both Perkins (missing a homer) and Henry (missing a triple) just missed hitting for the cycle.
The Nashville Sounds will have the day off tomorrow before they begin a six-game series against the Durham Bulls. Right-hander Janson Junk (2-2, 2.90) will start for the Sounds. Durham’s starter is to be announced. First pitch is at 5:35pm CT from Durham Bulls Athletic Park in North Carolina.
Post-Game Notes
- Abraham Toro extended his on-base streak to 31 games with an RBI double in the fifth. It’s the second-longest streak of its kind in the minors this season, trailing only Salt Lake’s Michael Stefanic (33 games). Over the span, he’s batting .310 (35-for-113) with nine runs, 11 doubles, 15 RBI and three stolen bases.
- In his first game back from the injured list, Payton Henry turned in a 3-for-4, two-RBI and two-extra base hit performance. In his last five games, Henry is hitting .429 (9-for-21) with three runs, two doubles, a homer and three RBI.
- As a team, the Sounds hit .319 (66-for-207) with a .915 OPS over the course of the six-game series.
The Nashville Sounds are the Triple-A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers and play at First Horizon Park. Season ticket memberships for the 2023 season are on sale now.
For more information call 615.690.4487 or e-mail tickets@nashvillesounds.com.
