Nashville Sounds’ Mark Rogers pitching helps shut out Memphis Redbirds 2-0

Nashville Sounds Enters Break With Ninth Win In Last 12 Contests

Memphis, TN – Right-hander Mark Rogers worked seven outstanding innings and combined with three reliever on a four-hit, 2-0 shutout of the Memphis Redbirds on Sunday evening at AutoZone Park in the finale of a five-game series.

With their league-leading 10th shutout victory, the red-hot Sounds (40-51) recorded a 4-1 series win against the cross-state rival Redbirds. Nashville enters the All-Star break with wins in nine of its last 12 contests.

Rogers (4-6) faced just two batters over the minimum and struck out a season-high seven batters during his fourth quality start of the year, matching a personal and Sounds season best with his seven scoreless innings.

Juan Perez and Amaury Rivas combined on a scoreless eighth frame. In the ninth, Rob Wooten surrendered a triple to Adron Chambers before ceding to All-Star closer Jim Henderson, who induced a game-ending flyout from Mark Hamilton to nail down his 11th save of the season.

Rogers’ gem continued a recent hot spell by Sounds starting pitchers, who have combined to post a stellar 2.44 ERA (18er/66.1ip) over Nashville’s last 12 games. Over that stretch, Nashville starters have held the opposition scoreless on six occasions.

Nashville broke a scoreless tie by plating a pair of runs in the top of the fifth inning, chasing Memphis starter Scott Gorgen (0-1) from the contest in the process.

Jordan Brown (2-for-4) put the Sounds in front when he drove an opposite-field RBI double off the left field wall to plate Jeff Bianchi (2-for-4), who had opened the frame with a single.  The go-ahead two-bagger marked Brown’s seventh extra-base knock in his past 10 games.

Two batters later, Dayton Buller (2-for-3) made it a 2-0 game with an RBI single to left and Rogers followed with a single of his own to knock the opposing hurler out of the game. Left-hander Nick Greenwood took over on the Memphis hill and retired the next two batters to escape the jam without further damage.

The Sounds have the next three days off during the Triple-A All-Star break. Reliever Jim Henderson will represent Nashville on Wednesday in the 25th Annual Triple-A All-Star Game in Buffalo, New York. The 6:00pm CT contest will be aired live on 102.5 FM “The Game” as well as on the MLB Network.

Nashville returns to action on Thursday at Greer Stadium, where the Sounds will open a four-game series against the Albuquerque Isotopes (AAA-Dodgers). Right-hander Tyler Thornburg (1-0, 3.60), who was victorious in his Triple-A debut earlier this week in Memphis, will make his second start and face right-hander Fernando Nieve (4-6, 6.62).

Box Score

Nashville Sounds (40-51) 2, Memphis Redbirds (32-59) 0
July 8th, 2012

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Nashville	0	0	0	0	2	0	0	0	0	2	10	0
Memphis	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	4	1

Nashville	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	LOB	AVG
Schafer, CF	4	0	0	0	0	1	4	.284
Farris, 2B	4	0	1	0	0	0	3	.263
Gindl, LF	4	0	1	0	0	0	1	.242
Gibbons, RF	4	0	1	0	0	1	1	.204
Bianchi, SS	4	1	2	0	0	0	2	.305
Brown, J, 1B	4	1	2	1	0	0	2	.290
Maysonet, 3B	4	0	0	0	0	2	3	.227
Buller, C	3	0	2	1	1	1	0	.232
Rogers, P	2	0	1	0	0	1	1	.188
Perez, J, P	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000
Rivas, P	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000
a-Patterson, C, PH	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	.264
Wooten, P	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000
Henderson, P	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.500
Totals	34	2	10	2	1	6	17	.258
a-Flied out for Rivas in the 9th.
BATTING 2B: Brown, J (12, Gorgen). TB: Farris; Brown, J 3; Bianchi 2; Gibbons; Rogers; Buller 2; Gindl. RBI: Brown, J (19), Buller (5). Runners left in scoring position, 2 out: Schafer; Farris; Maysonet. SAC: Rogers. Team RISP: 1-for-6. Team LOB: 7.BASERUNNING CS: Bianchi (4, 2nd base by Gorgen/Hill). PO: Farris (1st base by Gorgen). FIELDING DP: 2 (Farris-Bianchi-Brown, J, Maysonet-Farris-Brown, J).

 

 

Memphis	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	LOB	AVG
Chambers, CF	4	0	3	0	0	1	0	.326
Jackson, SS	4	0	0	0	0	0	4	.274
Hamilton, 1B	4	0	0	0	0	1	1	.241
Hill, C	3	0	0	0	0	2	0	.233
Cox, Z, 3B	3	0	0	0	0	1	0	.258
Velez, RF	3	0	0	0	0	2	0	.281
Hunter, C, LF	2	0	1	0	1	0	0	.288
Sanchez, E, P	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000
Garcia, Jo, 2B	2	0	0	0	0	1	1	.000
Todd, P	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000
Freeman, P	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000
a-Derba, PH-LF	1	0	0	0	0	0	1	.200
Gorgen, P	1	0	0	0	0	0	1	.250
Greenwood, P	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000
Kozma, 2B	2	0	0	0	0	1	0	.231
Totals	29	0	4	0	1	9	8	.258
a-Grounded into a double play for Freeman in the 8th.
BATTING 2B: Hunter, C (16, Rogers). 3B: Chambers (2, Wooten). TB: Chambers 5; Hunter, C 2. Runners left in scoring position, 2 out: Jackson; Hamilton. GIDP: Jackson, Derba. Team RISP: 0-for-5. Team LOB: 3.FIELDING E: Cox, Z (13, fielding). DP: (Garcia, Jo-Jackson-Hamilton). Pickoffs: Gorgen (Farris at 1st base).

 

 

Nashville	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	HR	ERA
Rogers (W, 4-6)	7.0	3	0	0	0	7	0	5.18
Perez, J (H, 4)	0.1	0	0	0	1	1	0	1.56
Rivas (H, 4)	0.2	0	0	0	0	0	0	5.86
Wooten (H, 2)	0.2	1	0	0	0	1	0	5.18
Henderson (S, 11)	0.1	0	0	0	0	0	0	1.70
Totals	9.0	4	0	0	1	9	0	4.54

 

Memphis	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	HR	ERA
Gorgen (L, 0-1)	4.1	7	2	2	0	2	0	5.89
Greenwood	1.1	2	0	0	0	1	0	3.94
Todd	0.2	0	0	0	1	2	0	5.05
Freeman	1.2	1	0	0	0	0	0	3.75
Sanchez, E	1.0	0	0	0	0	1	0	5.94
Totals	9.0	10	2	2	1	6	0	4.84

Pitches-strikes: Rogers 74-55, Perez, J 8-4, Rivas 2-2, Wooten 17-10, Henderson 7-4, Gorgen 65-46, Greenwood 22-13, Todd 21-14, Freeman 18-11, Sanchez, E 12-7.
Groundouts-flyouts: Rogers 6-7, Perez, J 0-0, Rivas 1-0, Wooten 0-0, Henderson 0-1, Gorgen 3-4, Greenwood 3-0, Todd 0-0, Freeman 2-2, Sanchez, E 0-2.
Batters faced: Rogers 23, Perez, J 2, Rivas 1, Wooten 3, Henderson 1, Gorgen 18, Greenwood 6, Todd 3, Freeman 6, Sanchez, E 3.
Inherited runners-scored: Rivas 1-0, Henderson 1-0, Greenwood 2-0, Todd 2-0, Freeman 1-0.
Umpires: HP: Chris Segal. 1B: Shaun Francis. 3B: Brandon Misun.
Weather: 89 degrees, partly cloudy.
Wind: 8 mph, Varies.
T: 2:57.
Att: 5,194.