Fiers, Two Relievers Combine On Three-Hitter To Snap 10-Game Skid
Des Moines, IA – The Nashville Sounds snapped a 10-game losing streak with a 3-0 victory over the division-rival Iowa Cubs on Saturday evening at Principal Park in the middle game of a weather-shortened three-game series.
Three Sounds hurlers combined on the three-hit shutout, the club’s second of the young season. Mike Fiers started and worked six frames, Juan Perez put up zeroes in the seventh and eighth innings, and Amaury Rivas closed out the win by notching his first career save with a scoreless ninth.
Nashville (5-17), which recorded a win for the first time since April 15th, broke up a scoreless tie with a pair of runs in the top of the eighth inning against Iowa reliever Casey Coleman.
After Logan Schafer legged out a one-out double, Iowa intentionally walked Brooks Conrad to put two runs on base for Caleb Gindl, who hit a grounder to first. I-Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo hit Conrad with the throw to second as he attempted to turn a double play and the ball caromed into left field, allowing Schafer to score the night’s first run. Sean Halton followed with an RBI double to left to bring home Conrad for a 2-0 advantage.
The Sounds missed a chance to add to the lead, however, as Taylor Green was intentionally walked to load the bases but Coleman struck out Martin Maldonado looking and induced an inning-ending groundout from Eric Farris to escape the jam with no further damage.
Nashville tacked on an insurance run in the top of the ninth when pinch-hitter Corey Patterson led off with a triple off Coleman and scored on Hainley Statia’s ensuing RBI single to center to extend the Sounds’ lead to 3-0.
Conrad went 2-for-3 with a double and a triple to extend Nashville’s longest hitting streak of the season to seven games. He is batting .395 (15-for-38) in 12 games this season.
Both starting pitchers turned in outstanding efforts but took no-decisions in the contest.
Fiers continued his career dominance of the I-Cubs with six frames of scoreless, three-hit ball. In three starts against Iowa, the right-hander has posted a miniscule 0.82 ERA (2er/22.0ip).
Perez (1-0) picked up the win with his two hitless innings of relief for the Sounds and Rivas worked around a one-out walk to put up a goose egg in the ninth and notch his first professional save in his 28th career relief outing.
The Sounds will attempt to secure their first winning series of the season when the teams complete the three-game set with a 1:05pm finale on Sunday afternoon. Right-hander Mark Rogers (0-2, 7.50) makes his third start of the year for Nashville. Iowa will counter with right-hander Jay Jackson (1-2, 6.20).
Box Score
Nashville Sounds (5-17) 3, Iowa Cubs (9-13) 0
April 28th, 2012
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nashville Sounds | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 7 | 0 | |
| Iowa Cubs | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | |
| Nashville | AB | R | H | RBI | BB | SO | LOB | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Schafer, CF | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .250 |
| Conrad, 2B | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | .395 |
| Gindl, RF | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 5 | .203 |
| Halton, 1B | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 | .254 |
| Green, T, 3B | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 2 | .234 |
| Maldonado, C | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | .220 |
| Farris, LF | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | .235 |
| Maysonet, SS | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | .203 |
| Perez, J, P | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 |
| a-Patterson, C, PH | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .183 |
| Rivas, P | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 |
| Fiers, P | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | .143 |
| Statia, SS | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .256 |
| Totals | 32 | 3 | 7 | 2 | 6 | 5 | 21 | .232 |
| a-Tripled for Perez, J in the 9th. | ||||||||
| BATTING 2B: Conrad (4, Rusin), Schafer (7, Coleman, C), Halton (5, Coleman, C). 3B: Conrad (1, Rusin), Patterson, C (2, Coleman, C). TB: Farris; Conrad 5; Schafer 2; Halton 2; Patterson, C 3; Statia. RBI: Halton (9), Statia (4). Runners left in scoring position, 2 out: Maysonet 2; Gindl; Halton 2; Farris 2. SAC: Maldonado; Schafer. Team RISP: 2-for-13. Team LOB: 10.FIELDING Outfield assists: Gindl (Sappelt at 1st base). DP: (Gindl-Maysonet-Halton). Pickoffs: Fiers (Jackson, B at 1st base). |
||||||||
| Iowa | AB | R | H | RBI | BB | SO | LOB | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jackson, B, CF | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | .233 |
| Sappelt, RF | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .221 |
| Valbuena, SS | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | .295 |
| Rizzo, 1B | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | .378 |
| Wright, T, LF | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | .211 |
| Cardenas, 2B | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | .324 |
| Lalli, C | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 4 | .200 |
| Vitters, 3B | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | .262 |
| Coleman, C, P | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .500 |
| Rusin, P | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | .000 |
| Lopez, P | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 |
| Amezaga, 3B | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .316 |
| Totals | 28 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 7 | 16 | .278 |
| BATTING 2B: Vitters (3, Fiers). TB: Sappelt; Rizzo; Vitters 2. Runners left in scoring position, 2 out: Vitters 2; Rusin; Cardenas. Team RISP: 0-for-7. Team LOB: 6.BASERUNNING PO: Jackson, B (1st base by Fiers). FIELDING |
||||||||
| Nashville | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | HR | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fiers | 6.0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 4.63 |
| Perez, J (W, 1-0) | 2.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 1.29 |
| Rivas (S, 1) | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1.29 |
| Totals | 9.0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 7 | 0 | 4.19 |
| Iowa | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | HR | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rusin | 6.0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 2.63 |
| Lopez | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Coleman, C (L, 2-2) | 2.0 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 4.24 |
| Totals | 9.0 | 7 | 3 | 2 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 4.72 |
IBB: Conrad (by Coleman, C), Green, T (by Coleman, C).
HBP: Wright, T (by Fiers).
Pitches-strikes: Fiers 72-48, Perez, J 48-27, Rivas 19-12, Rusin 80-48, Lopez 14-8, Coleman, C 45-26.
Groundouts-flyouts: Fiers 2-8, Perez, J 3-0, Rivas 2-0, Rusin 5-5, Lopez 1-2, Coleman, C 4-1.
Batters faced: Fiers 21, Perez, J 8, Rivas 4, Rusin 22, Lopez 4, Coleman, C 14.
Umpires: HP: Clint Fagan. 1B: Jordan Baker. 3B: Mike Jarboe.
Weather: 52 degrees, overcast.
Wind: 9 mph, In from RF.
T: 2:41.
Att: 4,884.
