Nashville Sounds
Tacoma, WA – Zach Shank delivered the knockout punch with a walk-off double in the bottom of the 12th inning to give the Tacoma Rainiers an 8-7 win over the Nashville Sounds Monday night at Cheney Stadium.
Shank’s game-winner off Sounds reliever Lou Trivino ended the 5-hour, 8-minute marathon that featured 12 pitchers, 21 walks, 20 hits, and 20 strikeouts between the two teams.
The bottom of the 12th started when Trivino issued a leadoff walk to Kyle Waldrop. He moved to second when Danny Muno drew a free pass to put runners at first and second. The walks came back to hurt when Shank lined a 1-2 pitch into right field to chase home Waldrop with the winning run.
Nashville had a chance to win the game earlier in the night when they took a 7-6 lead in the top of the ninth inning. With one out in the inning, Franklin Barreto singled off Tacoma reliever Thyago Vieira to give the Sounds a base runner.
With Jaff Decker batting, Barreto moved to second on a balk, and third on a wild pitch. After Decker walked, Renato Nunez was batting when Vieira unleashed another wild pitch allowing Barreto to score and give the Sounds a 7-6 lead.
The lead didn’t stick, however, as Taylor Motter quickly tied the game when he started the bottom of the ninth with a solo homer off reliever Patrick Schuster.
The two teams had a number of opportunities to win the game in extras before Shank’s walk-off. Both teams left 12 runners on base and the Sounds went 4-for-17 with runners in scoring position.
Nashville and Tacoma combined for 12 runs in the fourth and fifth innings. The Sounds scored the first two runs of the game in the fourth when Yairo Munoz came through with a two-out, two-run single. Iowa came back with four in the home half to take a 4-2 lead.
The Sounds responded with a four-spot of their own in the top of the fifth, highlighted by Chris Carter’s two-run double. The 6-4 lead was short-lived as Nashville pitchers issued back-to-back bases loaded walks to even the game at 6-6 in the bottom of the inning.
Four Sounds had multi-hit games, including newcomer Boog Powell. Munoz and Carter drove in two runs each while Nunez and Barreto each scored two runs.
Game two of the four-game series is scheduled for Tuesday afternoon at Cheney Stadium. Right-hander Michael Brady (3-1, 3.35) starts for the Sounds against right-hander Christian Bergman (8-3, 5.10) for the Rainiers. First pitch is scheduled for 1:35pm CST.
The 2017 season is the Sounds’ 40th in franchise history and their third as the Oakland Athletics’ top affiliate. Single-game tickets are available now by calling 615.690.4487 or by visiting www.nashvillesounds.com
