Nashville, TN – The Omaha Storm Chasers continued their recent dominance of the Sounds on Thursday evening at Greer Stadium, handing Nashville an 8-2 loss.
The Sounds (32-42) have lost nine of their 11 meetings with the division-rival Storm Chasers this season.
Omaha took a 2-0 lead in the top of the second inning when former Sound Lorenzo Cain tripled off the center field wall then scored when Lance Zawadzki crushed a 1-0 Josh Butler offering over the wall in right-center for a two-run homer, his fifth roundtripper of the year. The home run extended Zawadzki’s hitting streak to 14 games for the Storm Chasers.
The Sounds tied the score at 2-2 in the sixth when Edwin Maysonet’s two-out single to center off Mazzaro plated Mat Gamel, who earlier reached on a one-out single.
The Storm Chasers quickly regained the lead with a four-run outburst against Butler in the top of the seventh, taking a 6-2 advantage.
Catcher Cody Clark (2-for-4) led off the Omaha seventh by roping a line-drive homer over the left field wall to give the visitors a 3-2 advantage. The big fly was his third of the year. Later in the frame, shortstop Mike Aviles belted his fifth homer of the year, a solo shot to left.
The next two Storm Chasers scored in unearned fashion later in the frame after Maysonet was unable to handle a two-out Kila Ka’aihue grounder at short.
Omaha added two runs in the ninth against Sounds reliever Zach Braddock. Aviles led off by drawing a walk, moved to third on a Giovatella single, and scored on a Braddock wild pitch. Giovatella later scored on a Cain sacrifice fly to bring the score to its final 8-2 standing.
Mazzaro (4-0) earned the victory with a quality start for Omaha, holding the Sounds to two runs on six hits while striking out six batters over his six frames of action.
Blake Johnson worked the final three innings in scoreless fashion for the Storm Chasers, allowing only one hit, to earn his first save of the year.
Butler (4-5) drew the loss after giving up six runs (four earned) on nine hits in 6 2/3 innings. He walked one batter and struck out five in his 102-pitch effort.
Milwaukee Brewers reliever Takashi Saito worked a clean eighth inning for the Sounds, throwing 11 pitches (eight for strikes) with one strikeout.
The teams wrap up the five-game series with a 7:05pm meeting on Friday. Left-hander Chase Wright (4-4, 5.65) will toe the rubber for the Sounds to take on Omaha right-hander Kevin Pucetas (4-3, 5.18).
Box Score
Omaha Storm Chasers (41-34) 8, Nashville Sounds (32-42) 2
June 23rd, 2011
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Omaha | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 12 | 0 | |
| Nashville | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 1 | |
| Omaha | AB | R | H | RBI | BB | SO | LOB | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aviles, SS | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | .288 |
| Giavotella, 2B | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .319 |
| Robinson, Cl, LF | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | .343 |
| Ka’aihue, 1B | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | .311 |
| Cain, CF | 4 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | .308 |
| Zawadzki, DH | 5 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 3 | .272 |
| Clark, C, C | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | .275 |
| Orlando, RF | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .250 |
| Falu, 3B | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .301 |
| Mazzaro, P | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 |
| Johnson, B, P | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 |
| Totals | 38 | 8 | 12 | 6 | 2 | 8 | 12 | .293 |
| BATTING
2B: Robinson, Cl (18, Butler, Js). 3B: Cain (5, Butler, Js). HR: Zawadzki (5, 2nd inning off Butler, Js, 1 on, 1 out), Clark, C (3, 7th inning off Butler, Js, 0 on, 0 out), Aviles (5, 7th inning off Butler, Js, 0 on, 2 out). TB: Aviles 4; Giavotella 2; Robinson, Cl 2; Ka’aihue; Cain 4; Zawadzki 4; Clark, C 5; Orlando; Falu. RBI: Zawadzki 2 (31), Clark, C (5), Aviles (10), Cain 2 (41). 2-out RBI: Aviles; Cain. Runners left in scoring position, 2 out: Aviles 2; Cain; Zawadzki 2. SF: Cain. GIDP: Robinson, Cl. Team RISP: 4-for-11. Team LOB: 7.FIELDING Outfield assists: Orlando (Boggs at 1st base). DP: (Orlando-Ka’aihue). |
||||||||
| Nashville | AB | R | H | RBI | BB | SO | LOB | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boggs, LF | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | .265 |
| Farris, 2B | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | .259 |
| Carroll, CF | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 6 | .292 |
| Almonte, DH | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | .278 |
| Gamel, 1B | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | .317 |
| Nieves, C | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | .200 |
| Gindl, RF | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | .262 |
| Maysonet, SS | 4 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .266 |
| Green, T, 3B | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | .303 |
| Butler, Js, P | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .133 |
| Hand, P | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 |
| Saito, P | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 |
| Braddock, P | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 |
| Totals | 33 | 2 | 7 | 2 | 3 | 9 | 19 | .267 |
| BATTING
2B: Carroll (11, Mazzaro). HR: Gindl (8, 5th inning off Mazzaro, 0 on, 0 out). TB: Boggs 2; Carroll 2; Gamel; Gindl 4; Maysonet 2. RBI: Gindl (23), Maysonet (17). 2-out RBI: Maysonet. Runners left in scoring position, 2 out: Almonte; Carroll 2; Green, T; Gamel. Team RISP: 1-for-10. Team LOB: 9.FIELDING E: Maysonet (9, fielding). DP: (Maysonet-Farris-Gamel). |
||||||||
| Omaha | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | HR | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mazzaro (W, 4-0) | 6.0 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 1 | 3.93 |
| Johnson, B (S, 1) | 3.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 7.42 |
| Totals | 9.0 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 9 | 1 | 4.84 |
| Nashville | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | HR | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Butler, Js (L, 4-5) | 6.2 | 9 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 3 | 5.84 |
| Hand | 0.1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3.42 |
| Saito | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Braddock | 1.0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 5.79 |
| Totals | 9.0 | 12 | 8 | 6 | 2 | 8 | 3 | 4.57 |
WP: Braddock 2.
HBP: Boggs (by Mazzaro), Farris (by Johnson, B), Giavotella (by Butler, Js).
Pitches-strikes: Mazzaro 87-54, Johnson, B 39-25, Butler, Js 102-59, Hand 7-5, Saito 11-8, Braddock 25-15.
Groundouts-flyouts: Mazzaro 7-1, Johnson, B 3-1, Butler, Js 11-2, Hand 1-0, Saito 1-1, Braddock 0-1.
Batters faced: Mazzaro 27, Johnson, B 11, Butler, Js 31, Hand 2, Saito 3, Braddock 6.
Inherited runners-scored: Hand 2-1.
Umpires: HP: Shaun Francis. 1B: Brett Robson. 2B: . 3B: Jason Millsap.
Weather: 88 degrees, partly cloudy.
Wind: 9 mph, R to L.
T: 2:39.
Att: 5,627.
Compiled by MLB Advanced Media
