Nashville, TN – Nashville Sounds manager Rick Sweet moved into third place all-time for wins in Minor League history, while Raynel Delgado completed the cycle in a 7-3 win over the Louisville Bats on Tuesday at First Horizon Park.
Sweet earned his 2,418th victory of his career, and Delgado notched the first cycle by a Sounds hitter since Caleb Gindl achieved the feat in 2011. Robert Gasser tossed 4.0 shutout frames in his third Triple-A rehab start, while Rhys Hoskins worked a walk in his first.
Nashville scored first in the bottom of the second against Louisville starter Adam Plutko. Jared Oliva singled and Delgado homered over the right center field wall to give the Sounds a 2-0 lead.
In the bottom of the third, the Sounds opened the game up off Plutko. Hoskins walked, Jeferson Quero singled, and Oliver Dunn walked to load the bases. Oliva reached first, and Hoskins scored on a fielding error to extend the lead 3-0. Delgado cleared the bases on a three-RBI triple to right, putting Nashville up 6-0.
The Bats scratched across their first runs in the top of the fifth off Sounds reliever Rob Zastryzny. Ryan Vilade walked, and P.J. Higgins homered to cut the deficit, 6-2. In the top of the seventh, Christian Encarnacion-Strand notched a solo homer against Nashville reliever Julian Merryweather to make it 6-3.
The Sounds bounced back in the bottom of the eighth against Bats reliever Lenny Torres Jr. Oliva and Delgado collected back-to-back singles to put runners on first and third. Delgado’s base knock completed the fourth cycle in Sounds history, and the first to do it at home. A steal by Delgado allowed Oliva to score on the throw down, increasing the Sounds lead, 7-3.
Nashville reliever Joel Payamps tossed a perfect ninth inning to finalize a 7-3 win for the Sounds. The victory earned Sweet the No. 3 spot as all-time winningest manager in Minor League history.
Left-hander Tate Kuehner makes his second start in a Sounds uniform on Wednesday. First pitch is slated for 6:35pm CT from First Horizon Park.
