Durham, N.C. – The Nashville Sounds took control of the series with a 7-2 win over the Durham Bulls in game three on Thursday night. Sounds outfielder Jared Oliva tied his career-high with four hits and one of the six doubles Nashville hit for the game.
Left-hander Robert Gasser continued his rehab assignment with his second start for Nashville. The Brewers’ no. 18-rated prospect worked 46 pitches over two frames and allowed five hits and a run with a walk and two strikeouts.
Three Nashville walks issued in the bottom of the fifth helped Durham take a 2-1 lead without a hit in the inning following the go-ahead sacrifice fly for Tanner Murray. The fourth walk of the inning was issued before Blake Holub eventually worked his way out of the inning and his first win of the year to help strand the bases loaded.
Holub was put in position for the win thanks to a four-run top of the sixth for the Sounds. Oliva bunted his way aboard for a single and got to trot around the rest of the bases when Oliver Dunn uncorked on the first pitch he saw in his at-bat. The 403-foot blast put the Sounds in front 3-2. Ethan Murray made it a three-run Nashville advantage with a two-out, two-RBI single.
Josh Maciejewski worked two hitless innings of relief on his birthday to earn a hold while Jesus Liranzo (1.0 IP) and Justin Yeager (1.0 IP) worked the final two innings on the bump for the Sounds. Seven Nashville pitchers combined to hold the Bulls to just the two runs and 0-for-9 with runners in scoring position without an extra-base hit for the night.
The final two runs of the game for Nashville came via RBI doubles. Cameron and Oliva hit back-to-back doubles in top of the sixth and Ethan Murray collected his third RBI of the game with a double in the eighth to score Ernesto Martinez Jr. who reached base and scored twice.
The Sounds will look to win back-to-back games for the first time since July 27-29 when LHP Bruce Zimmermann (6-6, 4.26 ERA) takes the ball for Nashville on Friday night. First pitch from Durham Bulls Athletic Park is slated for 5:35pm CT.
