Early Lead Doesn’t Hold for Nashville Sounds
Des Moines, IA – The Iowa Cubs evened the four-game series with a 4-2 win over the Nashville Sounds Wednesday afternoon at Principal Park.
The Cubs used a run in the fourth and a three-spot in the fifth to erase an early deficit.
A pair of doubles got the Sounds their first run of the game as Jake Smolinski started a rally with two bases to lead off the second. After Andrew Lambo walked, Rangel Ravelo stayed hot with a run-scoring double off the left field wall to make it 1-0. Ravelo went 2-for-4 and has seven hits in his last 11 at-bats.
That’s when Iowa’s offense kicked into gear. Albert Almora started the bottom of the fourth with a lead-off double and moved to third on a groundout. He scored moments later when Miguel Montero lined a base hit to the right side to even the game at 1-1.
More doubles cost Overton in the fifth as the Cubs collected three two-baggers in the inning and scored three times to take a 4-1 lead.
Almora and Willson Conteras had back-to-back one-out doubles to plate runs, and Montero knocked in his second run of the game with another base hit to right field.
Renato Nunez blasted a solo homer off Drew Rucinski to start the sixth to pull the Sounds within a pair of runs at 4-2, but that’s as close as they’d get.
A golden opportunity to put at least one run on the board in the eighth was spoiled by Almora. With one out and Smolinski at first, Andrew Lambo hit a fly ball into the right-center gap that Almora tracked down with a spectacular diving catch. He got up and fired to first to complete the double play and end the scoring threat.
Ravelo started the ninth with a base hit but Spencer Patton shut it down from there to earn the save. Rucinski picked up the win and improved to 2-3 and Overton was tagged with the loss to fall to 1-4.
Game three of the four-game series is set for Thursday afternoon at Principal Park. Right-hander Jesse Hahn (0-1, 2.04) starts for the Sounds. The Cubs have not named a starter. First pitch is scheduled for 12:08pm.
The 2016 season is the Sounds’ 19th year in the Pacific Coast League and their second as the Oakland Athletics’ top affiliate. Tickets are available now by calling 615.690.4487 or by visiting www.nashvillesounds.com
