Nashville, TN – The Nashville Sounds took control of the series against the Gwinnett Stripers with the third shutout win of the season, blanking the Stripers 2-0 on Thursday night in a pitcher’s duel that saw both starters earn a quality start.
The teams combined for just eight hits in the first sub-2 hour nine-inning game Nashville has played since 2022. Luis Lara recorded two of the five Nashville hits and drove in the game-winning run in the bottom of the seventh inning.
Brewers no. 17-rated prospect Tyson Hardin tossed his second Triple-A quality start in three games with Nashville. The right-hander worked 6.0 IP and allowed just two hits with five strikeouts and a walk without a decision. He retired the side in order in four of his six innings with his hits allowed coming via a two-out single to former Sound Brewer Hicklen in the top of the first. He then stranded a two-out double off the bat of Luke Williams in the third.
The Sounds offense had their own trouble getting much off of Elieser Hernandez on the mound for Gwinnett. Nashville mustered just two hits through six innings with Akil Baddoo hitting a single in the bottom of the second that was followed by an inning-ending double play. Lara collected the first of two extra-base hits on the night with a two-out double in the fourth. Hernandez faced just one over the minimum through six innings with the help of another double play in the bottom of the fifth to erase the lone walk issued by the Stripers starter.
Nashville’s offense finally broke through in the bottom of the seventh. Cooper Pratt started the inning with a single back up the middle and raced around the bases when Lara broke the scoreless tie with a RBI triple that rattled around the Gwinnett bullpen in the right field corner. Luis Matos made it three straight hits and extended his hitting streak to nine consecutive games with a double to make it 2-0 and bring an end to Hernandez’s night. Rolddy Munoz relieved Hernandez and issued a walk to the first batter he faced but worked the third double play Nashville hit into on the night and ended the frame with a ground out to strand Matos at third base.
Reiss Kneher took over for Hardin in the top of the seventh and spun two scoreless innings in which he retired all six he faced with three strikeouts to pick up the win. Brewers no. 27-rated prospect Craig Yoho slammed the door on Gwinnett with a scoreless ninth inning as he struck out the side to work around a one-out single for his third save of the year. Hardin, Knehr, and Yoho combined to retire 19 of the final 20 batters the trio faced.
The Sounds and Stripers will be back in action on Friday night with first pitch scheduled for 6:35pm CT. LHP Robert Gasser (0-0, 3.74 ERA) will get the start for Nashville against RHP Anthony Molina (2-2, 4.50 ERA) and Gwinnett.
