Moosic, PA – Kept off the scoreboard for the first eight innings on Saturday night, the Nashville Sounds exploded for seven runs in the top of the ninth to take down the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders 7-5 and earn a chance to split the series on Sunday.
Held to four hits entering the final inning, Nashville sent 11 batters to the plate and recorded six hits en route to the comeback win and third win on the season when trailing after the eighth inning.
Josh Maciejewski was stellar in his short notice start after the late scratch to Brewers’ no. 6-rated prospect Logan Henderson. The left-hander worked three scoreless innings and allowed just one hit against his former club. He had two strikeouts and worked around a walk to help strand one in the second inning.
Jesus Liranzo worked a season-high 2.2 IP while not allowing a hit and added a pair of strikeouts of his own. Will Childers worked his eighth Triple-A appearance on the bump for Nashville and allowed two runs (1 ER) on a hit and Sounds error to allow the first run of the game to cross the plate. A sacrifice fly later in the bottom of the seventh helped the RailRiders build a 2-0 lead despite being outhit 3-2 at the time.
Brewers’ no. 19-rated prospect Craig Yoho pitched an inning-plus without allowing a hit and had three strikeouts to help negate a pair of free passes issued to keep the game at 2-0 heading into the ninth.
Jared Oliva lined out to begin the final frame before Oliver Dunn reached base after being hit by a pitch to start the late rally. A single and walk loaded the bases for the Sounds and sent Freddy Zamora to the plate. Zamora singled home the first Nashville run of the game as the Sounds played station-to-station for Ernesto Martinez Jr.
A two-RBI double plated Jorge Alfaro and Raynel Delgado to put Nashville in front 3-2. Daz Cameron cleared the bases with a two-RBI triple while Drew Avans and Oliva added RBI singles in the inning to help Nashville take a 7-2 lead.
Joel Payamps worked the bottom of the ninth as Scranton/Wilkes-Barre refused to go down without a fight. Payamps loaded the bases and was forced to face Yankees’ no. 4-rated prospect Spencer Jones who served as the potential game-tying run. Minor League baseball’s home run leader in 2025 flew out to the warning track in right-field, narrowly missing what would have been a game-tying grand slam.
The third Nashville error of the game helped plate the second RailRiders run in the inning. Payamps and the Sounds were able to strand the game-tying run on base and secure the 7-5 win after both teams combined for 10 runs and nine hits in the final inning after 2 runs on five hits through the first eight innings.
The Sounds will have the opportunity to build on the momentum from Saturday and head into the series finale with a chance at a series split. LHP Bruce Zimmermann (6-5, 4.10 ERA) is scheduled to make his second start of the series. The southpaw helped Nashville take the series opener after spinning six-scoreless on Tuesday night while allowing four hits. First pitch from PNC Field is slated for 12:05pm CT.
