Zach Neal’s Quality Start Squandered
Nashville, TN – Nashville dropped their third straight game to El Paso on Monday night at First Tennessee Park, this time by the score of 5-1.
For the league-leading 72nd time this season, the Sounds were the first team to score as Craig Gentry put the home team up 1-0 in the third. The speedy outfielder doubled down the left field line and then swiped his team-leading 23rd bag of the season. He would score on a Tyler Ladendorf sacrifice fly.
Jim Fuller came in with a runner on first in relief of Neal and got Dickerson to hit a comebacker that the Southpaw fielded nicely, but threw wide of Andy Parrino at second. Jake Goebbert took advantage of the error, playing wall-ball with a two-run, two-out double to stretch the Chihuahuas lead to 4-1.
Chihuahuas’ starter Jason Lane was the story for the visitors. The 38-year-old former Major League outfielder went seven innings, utilizing three separate double plays to curtail Sounds’ rallies. The Sounds had a fourth rally cut short by yet another double play in the eighth. The four double plays grounded into tied their season-high.
The Chihuahuas added a run off a Taylor Thompson wild pitch to make it 5-1 in the eighth. The loss was charged to Neal, who fell to 7-8.
The teams will conclude their series tomorrow. Aaron Brooks (6-5, 3.71) is expected to make his Sounds debut. The right-hander came over from Kansas City in the trade that sent Oakland Athletics slugger – and Franklin resident – Ben Zobrist to the Royals on July 28th. Former Sounds closer Chris Smith (3-5, 3.64) will start for El Paso. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05pm.
Box Score
El Paso Chihuahuas (65-57) 5, Nashville Sounds (55-68) 1
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| El Paso Chihuahuas | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 12 | 0 |
| Nashville Sounds | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 2 |
| El Paso | AB | R | H | RBI | BB | SO | LOB | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jankowski, CF | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | .392 |
| Gale, C | 5 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | .307 |
| Dickerson, A, RF | 5 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .310 |
| Middlebrooks, 3B | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 6 | .277 |
| Goebbert, LF | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2 | .289 |
| Decker, C, 1B | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 4 | .256 |
| Liriano, R, DH | 4 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | .278 |
| Gomez, H, SS | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | .292 |
| McCoy, M, 2B | 4 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .220 |
| Lane, J, P | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .093 |
| Northcraft, P | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 |
| Totals | 38 | 5 | 12 | 4 | 1 | 9 | 19 | .279 |
| BATTING 2B: Goebbert (13, Fuller). TB: Liriano, R 2; Gale 3; Goebbert 2; Jankowski; Dickerson, A 3; McCoy, M 2. RBI: Dickerson, A (65), Middlebrooks (12), Goebbert 2 (52). 2-out RBI: Goebbert 2. Runners left in scoring position, 2 out: Middlebrooks; Gomez, H; Decker, C 2. SF: Middlebrooks. Team RISP: 3-for-11. Team LOB: 8.BASERUNNING SB: Goebbert (4, 2nd base off Neal/Blair, C), Liriano, R (15, 2nd base off Thompson, Ta/Blair, C). CS: Gale (1, 3rd base by Neal/Blair, C).FIELDING DP: 4 (Middlebrooks-McCoy, M-Decker, C 2, Decker, C-Gomez, H, McCoy, M-Gomez, H-Decker, C). |
||||||||
| Nashville | AB | R | H | RBI | BB | SO | LOB | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ladendorf, 3B | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | .314 |
| Wendle, 2B | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | .278 |
| Roberts, R, LF | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .290 |
| Smolinski, RF | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .383 |
| Ravelo, DH | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | .258 |
| Parrino, SS | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | .272 |
| Muncy, 1B | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | .261 |
| Gentry, CF | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .239 |
| Blair, C, C | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | .247 |
| Neal, P | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 |
| Fuller, P | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 |
| Thompson, Ta, P | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 |
| Totals | 30 | 1 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 11 | .259 |
| BATTING 2B: Gentry (13, Lane, J), Roberts, R (28, Lane, J). TB: Blair, C; Wendle; Ravelo; Roberts, R 2; Muncy; Gentry 3; Parrino. RBI: Ladendorf (3). Runners left in scoring position, 2 out: Smolinski; Wendle. SF: Ladendorf. GIDP: Roberts, R, Wendle, Muncy, Ladendorf. Team RISP: 0-for-3. Team LOB: 4.BASERUNNING SB: Gentry (23, 3rd base off Lane, J/Gale).FIELDING E: Fuller (1, throw), Blair, C (3, throw). DP: (Blair, C-Ladendorf). |
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| El Paso | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | HR | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lane, J (W, 9-8) | 7.0 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 5.59 |
| Northcraft | 2.0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6.29 |
| Totals | 9.0 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 4.71 |
| Nashville | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | HR | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Neal (L, 7-8) | 6.1 | 10 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 3.79 |
| Fuller | 0.2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2.76 |
| Thompson, Ta | 2.0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Totals | 9.0 | 12 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 9 | 0 | 3.73 |
Game Scores: Lane, J 63, Neal 47.
WP: Fuller, Thompson, Ta.
Pitches-strikes: Lane, J 92-63, Northcraft 24-15, Neal 102-69, Fuller 11-6, Thompson, Ta 28-18.
Groundouts-flyouts: Lane, J 5-6, Northcraft 2-1, Neal 7-1, Fuller 1-0, Thompson, Ta 2-0.
Batters faced: Lane, J 25, Northcraft 7, Neal 29, Fuller 4, Thompson, Ta 7.
Inherited runners-scored: Fuller 1-1.
Umpires: HP: Shaun Lampe. 1B: Travis Eggert. 3B: Alex Ortiz.
Weather: 76 degrees, cloudy.
Wind: 7 mph, L to R.
T: 2:31.
Att: 4,365.
Venue: First Tennessee Park.
August 17th, 2015
