Nashville Sounds lose in extra innings to Fresno Grizzlies, 5-4

Scooter Gennett, Stephen Parker and Rob Wooten Extend Streaks

Nashville, TN – Five hours and fifty-eight minutes after scheduled first pitch, the Nashville Sounds dropped the series finale against the Fresno Grizzlies by the score of 5-4 at Greer Stadium, splitting the series 2-2.

Tied 4-4 in the 12th, Fresno broke through with a one-out run on Hector Sanchez’s double to the right-field corner. The extra-base knock scored Brett Pill, who reached base by drawing a walk from Sounds reliever Travis Webb (0-1).

Fresno picked up two runs off Sounds reliever Mike Olmsted in the seventh inning to tie the game 4-4 and eventually send the game to extras. Johnny Monell, pinch hitting for pitcher Steve Edlefsen, lifted a home run over the left-field wall. The shot marks the second night in a row the Sounds have allowed a pinch-hit dinger, after having not allowing one since July 29th, 2011. The Grizzlies tied it up with Roger Kieschnick’s RBI-single.

The Grizzlies got on the board first, touching Sounds starting pitcher Johnny Hellweg early for two runs on three hits and one walk in the first inning. Pill had the run-scoring blow, a single into left field to score the two runners in scoring position.

The Sounds answered Fresno with two runs of their own in the bottom of the first, ignited by Scooter Gennett’s lead-off triple. The three-bagger extended Gennett’s on-base streak to 28 games, the longest streak in the PCL this season. Caleb Gindl followed up with an RBI-single, finishing with four hits, and was driven in by Khris Davis’ single after two wild pitches moved him to third.

Tied 2-2 in the fourth inning, the Sounds plated the go-ahead run on a passed ball charged to Fresno catcher Hector Sanchez. His counterpart Anderson De La Rosa, three-for-six on the night, scored on the play from third, after already benefitting from a passed ball earlier in the inning.

Hellweg shut down the Grizzlies after the first, finishing with two runs on three hits over five innings of work and left in line for the win. The 24-year-old twirled three strikeouts, walked three and further helped his cause by going 2-for-2 at the plate. Tim Dillard and Kyle Heckathorn each pitched a scoreless inning before Rob Wooten collected three scoreless innings to improve his streak to 17 2/3 innings without letting in a run. The loss was charged to Webb.

The Sounds begin a new four-game series on Saturday night at Greer Stadium, hosting the Sacramento River Cats (AAA-A’s affiliate) at 6:35pm. The Sounds will send RHP Tyler Thornburg (0-3, 6.00) to the hill against Smyrna, TN native and former Vanderbilt pitcher Sonny Gray (3-1, 2.61).

Nashville’s NEWS 2 will present a special fireworks show following the game. Saturday also marks the first of six Trevecca Nazarene University FAITH NIGHTS® this season, featuring a pregame music concert by The Katinas.

Box Score