Team Sits One Game Back of .500 at 18-19
Nashville, TN – A balanced offense led the Nashville Sounds to a 6-3 win over the Fresno Grizzlies in front of 7,423 fans Sunday afternoon at First Tennessee Park.
Coupled with last night’s win over Fresno (15-21), it marks just the second time this year the Sounds (18-19) have won two home games in as many days.
All but one player in Nashville’s starting lineup had at least one hit, RBI or run scored.
Fresno’s Jon Singleton gave the Grizzlies a 1-0 lead in the top of the first when he knocked in Tony Kemp who started the game with a single.
The Sounds then scored in five of the next six innings, starting in the second. Matt Olson singled to right and raced home from first on Rangel Ravelo’s double down the left field line.Nashville took a 2-1 lead in the third when Andrew Lambo came through with a two-out RBI single to left field.
Fresno third baseman Colin Moran brought it back to even at 2-2 when he launched a solo homer off Henderson Alvarez in the top of the fifth.
An error cost Fresno the go-ahead run in the home half of the fifth. With Max Muncy on first, Jake Smolinski hit a line drive at right fielder Jon Kemmer. The ball bounced before Kemmer and skipped past him all the way to the wall to allow Muncy to score and make it 3-2.
Bryan Anderson knocked in a run in the sixth on a groundout before a bases-loaded double play brought in a run for the Grizzlies to trim the deficit to 4-3.
That’s when Chad Pinder and Olson came up with a pair of two-out run-scoring hits. Pinder’s line drive to right scored Muncy, and Olson’s second double of the game plated Pinder from first. Olson finished the game with a season-high three hits to go along with a pair of runs scored and an RBI.
Alvarez allowed two runs on six hits in five innings and picked up his first win with the Sounds. Brady Rodgers was tagged with the loss after he allowed three runs in five innings. Reliever Patrick Schuster worked the final 2 1/3 innings and kept the Grizzlies off the board to earn his third save of the season.
Game three of the series is set for Monday night at First Tennessee Park. Right-hander Zach Neal (4-1, 2.70) starts for the Sounds against right-hander Mike Hauschild (2-3, 4.55) for the Grizzlies. First pitch is scheduled for 6:35 p.m.
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