Nashville, TN – The Nashville Sounds took a two-game series lead over the Gwinnett Stripers with their 6-2 win on Wednesday night at First Horizon Park. As they have the majority of the year, the Sounds struck first and led throughout the game as the team improved to 12-games above .500 on the season.
Bruce Zimmermann got the start on the mound and was dominant over his five-plus innings as he earned his second straight win and fourth overall on the year. The left-hander retired the first six batters he faced and ended the game tied for his season-high with six strikeouts while allowing just three hits and one run.
After the bottom of the first inning was extended on the lone Gwinnett error of the night, Jorge Alfaro brought home the first two runs of the game with a double to straightaway center field that scored Oliver Dunn and Bobby Dalbec. Eddie Rosario pushed the lead back to two runs with a sac fly in the bottom of the third after the Stripers scored their only run off Zimmermann in the top half of the inning.
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Zimmermann and Elvis Peguero combined to keep the Stripers off the scoreboard in the middle third of the game with Peguero striking out both batters he faced in relief of the Nashville starter to end the sixth. Joel Payamps made his Sounds debut with an inning of work that saw the Stripers once again bring the game within a run after the top of the seventh. Payamps limited the damage to just one run after the leadoff double as he earned a hold. Dalbec pushed the lead back to two runs as he answered the Gwinnett run with a RBI single to score Jimmy Herron who led off the inning with a walk.
Seigler collected his second hit of the night with a two-RBI double down the left field line to make it a 6-2 game. Bryan Hudson and Craig Yoho combined to pitch two scoreless innings to slam the door on the Stripers. Hudson earned his second hold after working around two hits. Yoho struck out one and worked around a two-out walk and hit batter to leave two Stripers stranded in the top of the ninth.
RHP Tobias Myers (0-2, 3.09 ERA) will get the start for Nashville on Thursday night with a chance to take a commanding three-game series lead. The Sounds continue to try and chase down Leigh Valley, who own a 6.5 game lead over Nashville in the first half of the season after their loss on Wednesday. First pitch from First Horizon Park is scheduled for 6:35pm.
