Nashville, TN – In a battle of first-place clubs, the Nashville Sounds blew out the Sacramento River Cats, 14-2, on Sunday evening at Greer Stadium in the opener of a four-game series.
The 14 runs scored were the most for the Sounds this season. Six Nashville batters recorded multiple-hit efforts during the club’s 16-hit attack, which included a season-high four home runs.
With the win, the Sounds (74-61) maintained their first place tie with Memphis, which defeated Fresno, with nine games to play in the season.
Hunter Morris paced the Nashville offense with a 3-for-5, three-RBI evening. Matt Clark homered during a 2-for-4, three-RBI evening to extend his hitting streak to 14 games for the Sounds. Sean Halton, Jeremy Hermida, and Logan Schafer also homered for Nashville in the victory.
Michael Blazek (4-4) won for the third time in the last five starts by tossing a quality start for the Sounds. The right-hander held the River Cats to two runs on three hits over 6 1/3 innings of work. In nine home starts at Greer Stadium, Blazek has posted a 2.08 ERA (9er/39.0ip).
The Sounds grabbed a 1-0 lead in the second when Morris led off with a single against River Cats starter Angel Castro and later scored on Pete Orr’s RBI single.
Sacramento took a 2-1 lead in the fourth. Anthony Aliotti was hit by a pitch and raced around to score when Shane Peterson followed with a double to the left-center gap, his PCL-leading 37th two-bagger of the year. Peterson later scored on a two-out Alden Carrithers single off Blazek.
Nashville answered the Cats’ two-run rally with one of its own in the home half of the inning. Jason Rogers (3-for-4), who missed the cycle by a homer, led off with a triple to right and tied the game when he scored on a Morris groundout. Halton powered the Sounds to a 3-2 advantage when he launched a massive solo homer to left, the slugger’s seventh big fly of the year.
In the sixth, Clark, who is hitting .482 (27-for-56) during his 14-game streak, stroked a leadoff double and upped the Nashville lead to 4-2 when he scored on a Morris single.
The Sounds blew the game open with their biggest inning of the year, an eight-run, seventh-inning outburst against a trio of River Cats hurlers that stretched the lead to 12-2. Clark and Jeremy Hermida each delivered three-run homers during the frame; the blasts accounted for each slugger’s 13th roundtripper of the year.
Nashville closed out the night’s scoring in the eighth when Schafer swatted a solo homer, his first of the year, and Morris delivered a two-out RBI double.
The teams continue the homestand with a 7:05pm meeting on Monday.
Right-hander Billy Buckner (4-5, 5.54) will make his first start for the Sounds following a pair of hitless relief outings for the club. Sacramento will counter with right-hander Zach Neal (6-7, 4.53).
Box Score
August 24, 2014
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sacramento River Cats | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 1 |
| Nashville Sounds | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 2 | x | 14 | 16 | 0 |
| Sacramento | AB | R | H | RBI | BB | SO | LOB | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buss, RF | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | .299 |
| Ladendorf, SS | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .304 |
| Aliotti, 1B | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | .256 |
| Peterson, LF | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | .313 |
| Martinez, Jos, 2B | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | .266 |
| Barton, DH | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 2 | .256 |
| Carrithers, 3B | 4 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .277 |
| Martinez, L, C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .242 |
| Ortiz, C | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | .211 |
| Burns, B, CF | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | .136 |
| Castro, A, P | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .200 |
| Savery, P | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 |
| Healy, T, P | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 |
| Totals | 31 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 16 | .272 |
| BATTING 2B: Peterson 2 (38, Blazek, Leon, Ar). TB: Peterson 4; Carrithers 2; Buss. RBI: Peterson (86), Carrithers (50). 2-out RBI: Carrithers. Runners left in scoring position, 2 out: Peterson; Ortiz; Buss; Barton 2. GIDP: Ortiz. Team RISP: 1-for-9. Team LOB: 7.BASERUNNING SB: Buss (13, 2nd base off Blazek/Pagnozzi).FIELDING E: Castro, A (3, throw). Outfield assists: Buss (Velez at home). DP: 2 (Ladendorf-Martinez, Jos-Aliotti 2). |
||||||||
| Nashville | AB | R | H | RBI | BB | SO | LOB | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Schafer, L, CF | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | .284 |
| Velez, 2B | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | .319 |
| Clark, M, 1B | 4 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | .333 |
| Rogers, J, 3B | 4 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | .307 |
| Morris, H, DH | 5 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .285 |
| Halton, LF | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | .287 |
| Hermida, RF | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | .259 |
| Orr, SS | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | .302 |
| Pagnozzi, C | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | .218 |
| Blazek, P | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .235 |
| Figaro, P | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 |
| Leon, Ar, P | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 |
| Totals | 36 | 14 | 16 | 12 | 4 | 2 | 11 | .267 |
| BATTING 2B: Rogers, J (9, Castro, A), Clark, M (9, Castro, A), Morris, H (20, Healy, T). 3B: Rogers, J (4, Castro, A). HR: Halton (7, 4th inning off Castro, A, 0 on, 1 out), Clark, M (13, 7th inning off Savery, 2 on, 1 out), Hermida (13, 7th inning off Healy, T, 2 on, 2 out), Schafer, L (1, 8th inning off Healy, T, 0 on, 1 out). TB: Velez 2; Clark, M 6; Hermida 5; Orr 2; Schafer, L 4; Rogers, J 6; Halton 4; Morris, H 4. RBI: Orr (39), Morris, H 3 (41), Halton (59), Clark, M 3 (33), Hermida 3 (59), Schafer, L (13). 2-out RBI: Hermida 3; Morris, H. Runners left in scoring position, 2 out: Halton 2. SAC: Pagnozzi. GIDP: Pagnozzi, Halton. Team RISP: 5-for-10. Team LOB: 4.BASERUNNING CS: Velez (15, 2nd base by Castro, A/Ortiz).FIELDING DP: (Rogers, J-Velez-Clark, M). |
||||||||
| Sacramento | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | HR | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Castro, A (L, 9-8) | 6.0 | 11 | 7 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4.46 |
| Savery | 0.1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3.05 |
| Healy, T | 1.2 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 8.87 |
| Totals | 8.0 | 16 | 14 | 10 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 4.67 |
| Nashville | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | HR | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blazek (W, 4-4) | 6.1 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 4.05 |
| Figaro (H, 7) | 0.2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3.57 |
| Leon, Ar | 2.0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 5.66 |
| Totals | 9.0 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 3.66 |
Castro, A pitched to 3 batters in the 7th.
HBP: Aliotti (by Blazek), Clark, M (by Healy, T).
Pitches-strikes: Castro, A 95-62, Savery 15-7, Healy, T 41-24, Blazek 83-52, Figaro 12-7, Leon, Ar 25-13.
Groundouts-flyouts: Castro, A 8-4, Savery 0-1, Healy, T 1-3, Blazek 9-7, Figaro 0-1, Leon, Ar 3-0.
Batters faced: Castro, A 27, Savery 3, Healy, T 12, Blazek 25, Figaro 3, Leon, Ar 8.
Inherited runners-scored: Savery 1-1, Figaro 1-0.
Umpires: HP: Blake Davis. 1B: Roberto Ortiz. 2B: Marcus Pattillo. 3B: Scott Mahoney.
Weather: 90 degrees, partly cloudy.
Wind: 6 mph, L to R.
T: 2:52.
Att: 4,975.
Venue: Herschel Greer Stadium.
August 24, 2014
